British design and architectural firms are leading the design explorations for the multi-billion pound Qiddiya project. Qiddiya, which is located 40 kilometres outside of Riyadh, is envisioned to be a recreational and leisure hub. It is one of the three “Giga projects” that in turn make up the ambitious “Vision 2030” by the Crown Prince. The estimated time for construction to begin is later this year.
It’s not breaking news that Saudi Arabia has been trying to wean its economy off of oil dependency lately. The vision 2030 project served as an announcement and a road map to that end. Qiddiya is one of the three major developmental investments that are part of the vision 2030.
The vision 2030 is the grand plan by the crown prince, Muhammad Bin Salman, to transform the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia into a cultural and tourism hub that is also home to world’s largest operations and offices of multinational corporations. The Kingdom is home to a growing population, 66% of which is under the age of 35. The economy requires an overhaul which will make it more suitable to meet the needs of its population.
There are a number of British architectural firms that are exploring the design ideas and concepts for the envisioned project. The Qiddiya project is a huge undertaking worth billions of pounds, and there are a total of 21 firms that are working to explore the design and architectural possibilities for it. London based firms seem to clearly outnumber the rest of the firms working on the project as they make up almost one-third of the firms working on the design and architectural prospects.
Firms such as Mangera Yvars Architects, HOK, WilkinsonEyre, Steve Chilton Architects, the London office of BIG and Populous are part of the total 21 firms that are working on the Qiddiya project.
London is a hub of talent when it comes to designing specialised urban facilities such as arenas, sports venues, etc. Therefore, the London based teams dominate the design explorations for the Qiddiya.
The idea is to create a contemporary facility to live, play, and work, which will also serve as a famous landmark. It will go on to meet the cultural, social, and recreational needs of the Kingdom’s present and future generations. Besides the aesthetics, the design explorations are focusing on a small, self-contained city with shaded walkable streets and modern architecture that is suited to the local climate.
The facility is intended to have a stadium, a resort, a performing arts centre, a speed park stadium, a hotel, world-class shopping facilities, an ice arena, aquatic centre, a mosque and more.
It is a huge undertaking that is intended to be spread across 3400 hectares. The CEO hinted that it will take a lot more than just the 21 design teams currently working on the design concepts to bring this project to reality. This is just a preliminary exercise.
