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ADDIRIYAH
GATE
BRIDGING THE MODERN
AND HISTORIC
By Leong Wei Lin
Team Members:
(Left to right)
Eugenie Royo,
John Alejandro,
Anna Narciso,
Rahmanto Darma,
Vera Purnomo,
Ryan Tilao,
Clyde Uriarte,
Ti Lian Seng,
Francis Lee,
Toh Sze Chong,
Andhie Wicaksono
Ahmmad Trisyarahman,
Dimas Satria,
Taufiq Rusdi,
Karlota Nunez,
Ricky Cahyadi &
Maureen Suryani.
Located in Riyadh, with close proximity
to the recently restored Wadi Hanifah
wetlands and the historic Addiriyah ancient
city site, Addiriyah Gate will be the first
mega-scale mixed-use development of its
kind in Saudi Arabia, incorporating retail,
dining, family entertainment, theme parks,
convention space, hospitality and residential
components. Significantly, the design of
the 28 exclusive residential villas facing
the heritage site of Addiriyah responds
sensitively to the site context and echoes
the traditional architecture of the area,
connecting the historic and modern aspects
of the site. The design premise is to create
a family and lifestyle destination for the local
population, and a global city attraction that
can rival the best the region has to offer.
Riyadh is an area that is rich in culture
and has a mixture of both vernacular and
contemporary architectural landmarks. The
development site spanning 1km in length
connects the modern and historic parts of
the city. Taking into consideration Saudi
Arabia’s hot and arid climate as well as the
cultural and social context, the mall’s design
objective is to provide avenues for visitors to
enjoy the different attractions in a comfortable
sheltered environment.
There are three main thematic zones in the
development, namely, the Wadi Walk, the
Aquatic Walk and the Arctic Walk. With the
large variety of programmatic functions and
massive development scale, emphasis was
placed on the design of clear access routes
and simplicity of the internal circulation
paths. The tropical, aquatic and arctic
themes designed for the three zones serve
to clearly demarcate space, and create a
juxtaposition of the external environment
to the climate-controlled interiors, thereby
generating a memorable and distinctive
experience for visitors.
Taking advantage of the proximity to the Wadi
Hanifah, which is popular with families to
gather on its banks on weekends, the mall will
also offer external programming to link the mall
experience to the wadi. In addition, designed
to be reminiscent of the natural landscape
of the Wadi Hanifah, the 380m-long Wadi
Walk integrates water landscape design with
the commercial components in the form of
pavilions and islands. Patrons are greeted by
a 10m-wide meandering waterway, where they
can enjoy a unique sensory experience as they
stroll through the mall sheltered by the skylight
and the green canopy overhead.
The Aquatic Walk, which is also the central
spine of the development, will lead visitors
through an urban streetscape to the 2.5-storey
aquarium and indoor amusement park; while
the key feature along the Arctic Walk is the
Snow Park, set to become one of the best
theme parks in Saudi Arabia. The park is sited
such that guests in the adjacent hotel and
dining patrons can also enjoy the snowscape
from their hotel rooms or the fine dining
establishments in the vicinity. Another main
feature located in the basement is The Bazaar,
a grand 20m-wide boulevard that stretches
half a kilometre. Its design reflects the scale,
flavour and charm of a traditional souk.
Addiriyah Gate is a reflection of the
growing economic progress and increasing
modernisation of the country. It addresses the
needs of a modern society and celebrates the
diversified activities that can be enjoyed by the
local and international community, while paying
respect to its native culture and roots.