February 2024 marked the opening of Design Space AlUla, a focal point for showcasing AlUla's wide ranging design initiatives contributing to the vision for AlUla.
Located in the AlJadidah Arts District, Design Space AlUla, designed by Giò Forma, Samantha Cottrel and Black Engineering, provides exhibition, workshop and archive space, and is designed to foster collaboration among design professionals, students, and design enthusiasts, whilst strengthening AlUla’s legacy across the cultural sphere as a catalyst for creative inspiration and design.
The inaugural exhibition, Mawrid: Celebrating Inspired Design, opened last 15 February 2024 showcasing 10 design stories, including Giò Forma's one, that invite visitors behind the scenes, into the process of creative innovation that is driving the masterplan for the region in the 21st century.
AlJadidah Arts District, is the first permanent contemporary gallery space in Saudi Arabia, dedicated to showcasing the many incredible design initiatives across the region.
The building is shaped around the plaza, creating typical and luminous courtyards for the public realm. Shaped views continue the visitors experience from the Wadi walkway to the heart of the Gallery.
The building is cladded with a familiar yet modernised design of the breeze blocks pattern celebrating one of the most recognisable Al Jadidah designs.
After researching traditional Al Jadidah patterns, four were chosen and entered within an algorithm.
The algorithm consists of taking the four pattern seeds and distributing them within a grid that fills the façade. The choosen pattern is a dynamic and modern design rich in heritage.
Custom made corten steel curtains explore the transparency and permeability of the building linking the open air museum to the indoor high level gallery space within the Al Jadidah art district.
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