Al Murabba Hills Hotel
Type: exterior & interior | Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | Time: 2 weeks
2020
Riyadh Salmani Architecture
There is great admiration for the architecture of the Salman era, (1963-2011) while Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was Governor of Riyadh prior to becoming King. This architecture can be found in government buildings in the center of Riyadh and a variety of buildings in the Diplomatic Quarter. Unique to Riyadh, this architectural vocabulary is influenced by the massing and details of Najd architecture but applied to modern building programs of much larger scale than the historic mud buildings.
This architecture is known for large expanses of wall surfaces punctuated by small openings. Materials include cement plaster, brick, and stone of a color similar to Najd buildings. Parapets and other details are abstracted slightly from original Najd forms and often made from precast materials. Elements of Salmani Architecture can be very contemporary to further enrich the buildings and create exciting contrasts with more traditional elements. Because this is a wall architecture, streets are often lined with supporting ground floor arcades to create shade for pedestrians.
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