The first Islamic Arts Biennale

Jeddah, (KSA) 2023
2023
Completed
Events

The Islamic Arts Biennale takes visitors on an immersive, multi-sensory journey through the past, present and future of the Islamic arts.

Designed by the award-winning duo Giò Forma Architects and Black Engineering in collaboration with F&M Middle East, the international competition winning project is located at the Western Hajj Terminal in the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill in 1981. Although present and intertwined with the existing Terminal design, the Biennale complex expresses independence in its visual identity whilst dialoguing with the exceptional backdrop. The new build relates with the existing structure by adopting its grid layout as the basis of a new expression.

The Islamic Arts Biennal’s architectural design concept is based on volumetric compositions inspired by the modularity of the existing tent structures. The beauty of the Hajj terminal lies in the dialogue between voids, volumes and their magical sense of depth and perspective; the buildings celebrate these elements by breaking down volumes for a dynamic composition that drags the eye further out to the horizon. Clusters containing stacked volumes of various sizes and proportions are arranged around a central water plaza to separate functions and to celebrate architectural rhythm and geometry.

These volumes create diverse galleries aimed at inspiring artists to interact with their different spatial configurations; as seen by the extraordinary opening exhibition curated by DBF and OMA. The Biennale complex’s role is to host and emphasize art, not to limit or overshadow it. Approximately 30,000 sqm of galleries, F&Bs, multi-purpose halls, cinemas, offices, workshops and retail areas create a memorable experience of exploration, interaction and participation.

Strong materiality and recognizability are key ingredients. An innovative construction system, based on high-tech pre-cast GRC panels, was constructed off-site and assembled on site. The façade panels have a linear texture that alternates between solid panels and see-through lattices which filter light, create natural ventilation and visual connection to the outdoors in a more intriguing way.

Gallery 3 pavilion at dusk, its warm-lit slatted facade and glazed upper floor reflected in a long pool – Islamic Arts Biennale, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 2023 – architecture
Biennale pavilions at sunset beside the white tent pylons of the Hajj Terminal, mirrored in a reflecting pool – Islamic Arts Biennale, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 2023 – architecture
Slatted beige facade of Gallery 3 with bilingual signage, an olive tree and stone benches in the sun – Islamic Arts Biennale, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 2023 – architectureUpward view of a ribbed sculptural column rising toward the circular oculus of a fabric tent roof – Islamic Arts Biennale, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 2023 – architecture
Hajj Terminal fabric canopies glowing at dusk beside a slatted pavilion, reflected in still water – Islamic Arts Biennale, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 2023 – architectureGalleries 2 and 3 lit at night, visitors walking along the reflecting pool between the pavilions – Islamic Arts Biennale, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 2023 – architecture
Slatted pavilion facade with a blue AlMadar banner, mirrored in a reflecting pool under a clear sky – Islamic Arts Biennale, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 2023 – architectureLounge with two curved armchairs and an orchid before a glass wall overlooking the white tent canopies – Islamic Arts Biennale, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 2023 – architecture
Stepped beige fins of a pavilion wall cutting into a deep blue sky – Islamic Arts Biennale, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 2023 – architectureSlatted pavilion walls against the sky, with a white tent pylon and its cables rising behind – Islamic Arts Biennale, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 2023 – architecture
Cafe with green armchairs, a teal fluted counter and a framed poster of the terminal canopies – Islamic Arts Biennale, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 2023 – architecturePurple poster of the Hajj Terminal tents framed in brass shelving against palm-print wallpaper – Islamic Arts Biennale, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 2023 – architecture
Two visitors in white thobes walking past an olive tree between tall pale slatted pavilion walls – Islamic Arts Biennale, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 2023 – architectureUpward view of blue sky framed by the zigzag edges of two folded pale walls – Islamic Arts Biennale, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 2023 – architecture
Long wooden communal table under clusters of terracotta pendant lamps, beside floor-to-ceiling windows – Islamic Arts Biennale, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 2023 – architectureBrass grid shelving dividing the cafe, with terracotta pendants, potted palms and green armchairs – Islamic Arts Biennale, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 2023 – architecture
Biennale site at dusk under a blue and orange sky, pavilions and tent pylons reflected in a long pool – Islamic Arts Biennale, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 2023 – architecture