ALULA: AlUla is no stranger to art. It is renowned as an “open-air natural museum” with 7,000 years of lived-in history. Even so, the upcoming AlUla Contemporary Art Museum, created as part of Saudi Vision 2030, is sure to be the talk of the town.
The famed Paris-based Lebanon-born architect, Lina Ghotmeh, was the winner of a global competition to design the new museum. Her design was selected by, according to a statement, “a panel of key stakeholders and specialists in architecture, landscape and museology, chaired by Dr. Khaled Azzam (director of The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts in London).”
Her winning design, according to Canvas magazine, “will be structured as a mosaic of pavilion galleries and artist gardens.”
In a quote reported by Arch Daily, Ghotmeh said: “The architecture of the contemporary art museum in AlUla immerses visitors in a creative journey from the desert expanse to the lush cultural oasis of AlUla, interweaving the natural environment, agriculture, and art to reveal the heart of contemporary culture. Through a series of garden pavilions, the museum presents a constant interplay between art and nature, capturing the essence of this unique place. The galleries offer surprising and anchored perspectives on the many facets of AlUla, from the microclimates of the oasis to the expanse of the desert, evoking a deep sense of attachment to the land and its heritage.”
Lina Ghotmeh inside the 2023 iteration of the Serpentine Pavilion in Kensington Gardens, London, which she designed. (Supplied)
While an official opening date is yet to be set, Ghotmeh spoke to Arab News about what a gift it is to help helm what will be AlUla’s first contemporary art museum.
“AlUla is a very special place,” she said. “We are in the middle of an oasis. Historically, it was a whole trade route, linking all the different territories to this geography. And to have a contemporary art museum here is so unique in meaning.”
Ghotmeh and her team, she said, will be “building it from scratch, basically.”
Her design for the museum, her studio’s website states, “is the fruit of an in-depth historical research process. The Contemporary Art Musuem of AlUla will emerge in complete symbiosis with nature, through the form of interventions that enliven memories and the senses.” It integrates bioclimatic principles, ecological stewardship and sustainable placemaking. But what was most meaningful to Ghotmeh was involving the residents of AlUla.
As part of her research, she spoke to local school children and asked them: “What is art for you? What is a museum for you?”
“They're very influenced by the landscape — it's super artistic, it's super creative,” she said. “And some of the seven-year-olds were answering, like: ‘A museum for us is a place for the extraordinary!’ And I found that so mature as a way of looking at museums today.
“I think (creativity) is part of the DNA of (AlUla); just being in this landscape, looking at the stars, you start to understand all the beauty of the world, and the metaphorical aspect of poetry,” she continued.
One of the pillars of the project was to craft it for — and with — the local community, she said. It was vital to also source locally — whether materials or ideas — when possible, in order to empower those who will be living near the museum.
“It is very important to listen to the place and try to build something that is meaningful to the place, and that doesn't feel alien,” she said.
She stressed that AlUla already has a thriving creative community, full of skilled artisans and experts, and praised the team at The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) for supporting the vision.
“The RCU was really there from the beginning, and they have been pushing for this project to happen, and that's very precious—you don't do it alone,” she said.
“We also have a whole crew of multidisciplinary professionals, besides my own team, that are just here — geared up and ready to make this a great project,” she concluded with a smile.
