Arabic
The Maraya Concert Hall in the northwestern governorate of Al-Ulla, Saudi Arabia won the Architizer A+award, one of the most prestigious architecture awards in the world. The governorate of Al-Ulla is a global destination with a human and cultural history dating back thousands of years, as it is located at the crossroads of ancient civilizations. The award won by the Maraya concert hall is the most important architectural award in the world, which focuses on promoting and celebrating the best architecture building of the year. The annual international award is administered by Architizer.com, an international association based in New York and consists of more than seven million leading architects. The Maraya concert hall has been selected as a final nominee in the Architecture + Glass by some prominent personalities in various fields of design, technology and real estate. The nominees for the finals were selected based on metrics such as shape, function and charm. The Maraya concert hall won the most votes in its category to be the winner of the Award for the year 2020.
Mr. Philip Jones, Chief Executive Officer of Destination and Marketing Activities at the Royal Commission for Al-Ula, welcomed the prestigious architectural award, and said: “The Maraya concert hall has been envisioned and designed as part of Saudi Arabia's 2030 vision and in line with the core values of the Royal Commission for Al-Ula governorate, using a responsible and sensitive approach. It is a unique architectural wonder site, and we look forward to the Royal Commission for Al-Ula to welcome the world when we open the destination soon."
The Maraya concert hall is one of the architectural wonders of the world, as it consists of a total of 9,740 square meters of mirror glass provided by the Guardian Glass group, covering the outer walls of the cube-shaped structure, reflecting the vast and amazing desert of Al-Ula. The building set a world record with the Guinness World Records as the world's largest mirror-clad building for 2019, with its 26-meter high theater.
The giant retractable mirror window of more than 800 square meters opens onto the surrounding nature, providing the visitor with an authentic experience that blends between nature and entertainment.
The building of the Maraya concert hall was designed by the Italian designer Florian Boggi, from the engineering design office Gio Forma in Milan, Italy.
The design of the Maraya concert hall was inspired by the surrounding nature, which is the same nature that inspired the Nabataeans in ancient civilizations with the art of architecture in past times.
Among the international artists who performed in the Maraya concert hall in its first year are Andrea Bocelli, Lionel Richie, Yanni and others. The site was recently chosen to shoot a number of commercials for luxury brands such as Cartier and Rolls-Royce.
