ENG |
A project conceived through the poetic relationship between aviation and the desert. An experience above the shifting ground and under the protective sky. A project of primordial value, beyond the human scale, inscribed in a geographical and cardinal orientation. Embodied by a powerful, monolithic geometry, balancing the scales of aircraft and man. This invitation to travel involves a walk through the building, a rapid ascent to its heart, and a slow descent to the earth, discovering the geographical varieties of the Saudi peninsula.
Four dunes at the corners of the site extend the topography and landscape of King Salman Park. The building touches the ground at all four points, establishing a vast protective canopy over the site. At its center, the Riyad, a courtyard at the intersection of the access flows to the heart of the gardens, marks a gathering place leading to the museum. Once raised to museum level, the vestibule houses all the museum's public functions. The galleries, known as the nave, form a continuous double-height passageway, engaging visitors and allowing a multitude of museographic situations and possibilities. As a backdrop to the suspended aircraft, the contiguous screen surrounds the entire nave, giving the impression of aircraft moving through time. Above, the topographical roof accommodates gathering, rest and performance areas, while offering panoramic views of King Salman Park and the city of Riyadh.