OMA creates scenography for Islamic Arts Biennale inside SOM-designed Jeddah airport

Structure studio OMA has designed the backdrop for the inaugural Islamic Arts Biennale, which is being hosted within the Western Hajj Terminal at Jeddah airport, Saudi Arabia.

OMA designed the general id for the Islamic Arts Biennale, which is being co-curated by South African architect Sumayya Vally and opened to the general public earlier this week.

The biennale is being hosted inside the Western Hajj Terminal at King Abdulaziz Worldwide Airport in Jeddah, which was designed by US studio Skidmore Owings & Merrill within the early Eighties.

OMA created the scenography for this yr’s Islamic Arts Biennale

Constructed from a collection of fibreglass material tents suspended from metal pylons, the distinctive constructing received the Aga Khan Award for Structure in 1983.

OMA’s design for the occasion goals to enrich the present constructing.

“Our scenography design goals to create an area that works with the cable-stayed, fabric-roof of the Hajj Terminal – a seminal piece of recent structure identified to Muslims world wide – actually reinventing it as an umbrella for Islamic Arts,” defined OMA Affiliate Kaveh Dabiri.

Biennale within in SOM-designed Western Hajj Terminal at King Abdulaziz International Airport — A desert-like panorama was created inside the SOM-designed Jeddah airport

The studio designed two distinct areas for the biennale. Below the terminal’s open cover it created a “desert-like panorama” that was knowledgeable by Mohamed’s journey from Mecca to Medina – referred to as Hijrah.

The panorama consists of sand-coloured slopes and slanted partitions to show the artworks whereas making a “sense of exploration”.

Exhibition spaces at Islamic Arts Biennale — A collection of inside exhibition areas have been additionally created

An enclosed space incorporates a sequence of galleries displaying artworks.

Described as “a journey from darkness to mild”, the sequence begins in a dimly lit room containing Seventeenth-century artefacts and ends in a vibrant house the place the primary Saudi door of the Kaaba – the constructing on the centre of the Masjid al-Haram mosque in Mecca – is on show.

“This exhibition is a chance to find and find out about Islamic tradition,” stated OMA companion Iyad Alsaka. “Greater than 200 historic objects are on show, a few of which have by no means been seen by the bigger public.”

“As well as, there are artworks by modern artists from Saudi Arabia and different international locations within the Center East and northern Africa to international locations just like the UK and South Africa, giving a brand new dimension to the timeless rituals of Islam,” he continued.

The first door of the Kaaba in an exhibition — The primary Saudi door of the Kaaba is on show

Organised by the Diriyah Biennale Basis, the Islamic Arts Biennale is being curated by Counterspace founder Vally alongside architect Omniya Abdel Barr, archaeologist Saad Alrashid and director emeritus of the Smithsonian’s Nationwide Museum of Asian Artwork, Julian Raby.

The occasion goals to rejoice Islamic artwork and tradition whereas exploring “spirituality within the aesthetic realm”.

OMA-designed event spaces — OMA designed a wide range of exhibition halls

The set up is OMA’s first undertaking in Saudi Arabia. The studio has beforehand designed a number of initiatives within the Center East together with the Qatar Nationwide Library and the headquarters of the Qatar Basis in Doha.

The images is by Marco Cappelletti.

The Islamic Arts Biennale takes place in Jeddah from 23 January till 23 April 2023. See Dezeen Occasions Information for an up-to-date checklist of structure and design occasions going down world wide.