Awtad Center, Riyadh

All projectsAwtad Center, Riyadh

Symphony in white

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Located in the center of Tahliah street in Riyadh, KSA, Awtad Commercial Center is a three-storey building recalling in many details the distinguished Saudi Najd architectural style. Easily recognizable in the windows and balconies of the building, this architecture, typical of the Najd region, was mainly influenced by the hot and dry climatic conditions of this area, as well as by its social-cultural hierarchical and religious traditions. In the course of time, all of these factors conditioned the shape and structure of houses, courtyards, and streets of the cities of this widely desert region. A distinctive aesthetic feature of this architectural style, recurring decorated window panels were used to allow a moderate entry of sunlight while granting a full privacy.

Year

2022

Project

Awtad Commercial Centre/ Riyadh Tahliah Commercial Center

Location

Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Client

SmartHome CO, KSA

Lighting design

licht|raum|stadt – Planung, Germany

According to the ambitious plans of Vision 2030, conceived to boost the tourism, culture and entertainment sectors in the country, the Saudi Ministry of Culture has recently announced that two academies dedicated to traditional arts and music, respectively, will be soon opening in Riyadh. Owing to its facilities and services offer, Awtad Commercial Center has been chosen to host the first Musical Academy in Saudi Arabia, which will become the core of music production and talent development in the country. The building will include music classes and a large auditorium reserved to special events.

In order to highlight the main façade of the building, a dedicated lighting scheme has been developed by the international lighting design studio licht|raum|stadt Planung, based in Germany with a strong presence in the Middle East region. The appointed lighting designers wanted to enhance the window panels, decorated in the typical Najd architectural style, as well as the front square columns with a soft wall grazing effect in a fascinating warm white shade. This smooth illumination has been obtained through an array of Parade linear bars, either for surface or in-ground installation, delivered in different lengths and configurations. More Parade units have also been used to emotionally emphasize the upper balconies of the front façade, standing out for their traditional style and decorative allure. Units of Sathurno in the same shade of white have been installed in the upper hallway, visible from the front façade of the building, to create a deep visual perspective through an intensive illumination. More Parade recessed units have been embedded in the inner corridors of the structure to deliver a uniform light distribution to this specific area. In spite of the diverse configuration of the installed fixtures, the final result is a well-balanced symphony of white lights creating an emotional visual layout.

Credits:
Full Project Name: Awtad Commercial Centre/ Riyadh Tahliah Commercial Center
Location: Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Consultant: Ahmad Al Rashed Al Humaid Consulting Engineers, Riyadh-KSA
Lighting Designer: licht|raum|stadt – Planung, Germany
Contractor: Construction skills, KSA
Client: SmartHome CO, KSA.