A Day in Riyadh
Briefing:
The iyadh Development Authority requested for a study for an event to take place in major European capitals to promote the knowledge and understanding of Riyadh, its culture and development.
Architectural Solution:
Rather than concentrating the entire event inside a single temporary prefabricated pavilion two separate locations are selected for the event.
The main event event will take place inside an existing facility (hotel) that will provide a more adequate setting for the conferences to take place.
An external installation, small enough to be positioned in strategical locations in each city will act as a temporary landmark, a beacon that will announce the ongoing event to the public and simultaneously establish a symbolic connection between each hosting city and Riyadh.
The concept for a hypothetical event was set in Paris and the chosen location for the beacon was the Louvre’s square next to Pei’s pyramid.
The shape of the installation was taken from a typical geological formation, the desert rose, typically formed by multidirectional flat plates that harmonically converge into a solid mass. This fascinating shape was translated into an architectural structure by combining a series of shards that lock into each other like a puzzle and form three semi-enclosed areas.