
With Maraya, we are one step further to realising our vision to recreate a place to dream, a place that inspires and facilitates the sharing of cultures and ideas,” said Mr Jones.Īnother focus for RCU is to deliver economic value to local residents and business via an ambitious business events strategy. “AlUla was at the crossroad of cultural exchange for millennia. The site has recently been a location for commercial film shoots by luxury brands Cartier, Rolls Royce and Monot.


International artists who performed at Maraya in its first year include Andrea Bocelli, Lionel Richie and Yanni. The building, by designer Florian Boje of Gio Forma, Milan was inspired by the landscape in the same way that the landscape has inspired architecture and art for civilisations from the Nabataeans through to this day. Maraya’s giant retractable window of more than 800 square metres opens to nature for an authentic experience blending nature and entertainment. The building set a Guinness World Record for being the largest mirrored building in the world in 2019 with its 26-metre-high theatre. Maraya is one of the world’s architectural marvels, a total of 9740 square metres of mirrors, supplied by Guardian Glass, cover the exterior walls of the cube-shaped structure reflecting the vast and stunning desert surroundings of AlUla. AlUla is a significant, undiscovered archaeological wonder and we look forward to welcoming the world when we re-open the sites,” said Mr Jones. “Maraya has been conceived and designed as part of the Saudi Vision 2030 and in line with RCU’s core values to develop AlUla using a sensitive and responsible approach. Visitors are truly mesmerised by Maraya’s impact and by the way it blends in so perfectly and reflects its surroundings.”

“It’s perhaps particularly gratifying to win the popular vote. Phillip Jones, Chief Destination Management and Marketing Officer at Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) welcomed the announcement saying that though Maraya is currently closed for further enhancements, the venue will be a key draw factor when AlUla officially re-opens to visitors as a year-round destination in late 2020. Maraya achieved the most public votes in its category to be named the 2020 popular choice winner. Finalists were selected for excellence in architecture with criteria based on form, function and impact.
Al ula saudi arabia plus#
Run by New York based, a seven million plus online community of leading architects, the annual awards consist of five peer judged finalists with one jury winner and one popular choice winner in each category.Ī finalist in the Architecture + Glass category, Maraya was selected by distinguished luminaries from fields as diverse as design, technology, real estate and fashion. The Architizer A+ Awards is the world’s largest awards program focused on promoting and celebrating the year’s best architecture. Maraya, a multi-purpose concert and entertainment venue in AlUla, Northwest Saudi Arabia, has been named a winner in one of the world’s biggest architecture awards.ĪlUla is a destination of global significance with 200,000 years of human history and culture at the crossroads of ancient civilisations. The building set a Guinness World Record in 2019 Maraya AlUla concert venue in Saudi Arabia Buildingĭesign: Florian Boje of Gio Forma, Milan, Italy It will also be a location fo the GCC’s Gulf summit, hopefully bringing peace in the region. The American Institute of Architects (AIA)ĭesign: Gioforma Architects Designers and Artists – Black Engineering DWC Location: Al-‘Ula, north west Saudi Arabia, the Middle EastĢ020 AIA Middle East Design Awards Winners ‘The largest mirrored building in the world’

Maraya AlUla concert venue, Saudi Arabia resort, Largest mirrored building in the world, Middle East architecture Maraya AlUla concert and entertainment venue
