JEDDAH —

Art Jameel, an organization that supports heritage, education and the arts, announced that its forthcoming cultural complex, Hayy: Creative Hub, has been awarded major recognition in the autumn design awards. The UAE and Japan-based architectural practice ibda design won multiple accolades for their design for Hayy, including Gold in the Hong Kong Design Awards; Silver in the New York Design Awards; and the Honor Award for Exceptional Design by the American Institute of Architects (Middle East chapter).

Hayy: Creative Hub is a 17,000-square-meter development. Saudi Arabia’s first bespoke home for the arts and creativity, the multidisciplinary complex is located in north Jeddah and due to open in 2020.

The three-story complex, designed by ibda design, offers a contemporary re-interpretation of the traditional courtyard typology, common within the Gulf. The main central courtyard is surrounded by shaded, staggered terraces on the building’s upper levels, which serve as extensions of the courtyard space and allow it to be conceived as a spatial whole that connects every level of the project.

On the ground floor, the courtyard is enhanced by seating among natural vegetation and greenery.

Designed to be a cultural incubator for its community, the project uses a steel-structure, aluminum cladding, and concrete flooring. “This offers a flexibility to the spaces that can accommodate many different exhibitions, events, and activities, and adapt to the needs of the local creative talents who use it,” said Wael Al-Awar (founding partner and principal architect) and Kenichi Teramoto (partner and principal architect) of ibda design. The aim was to promote a new perception of what architecture can be for Jeddah and Saudi Arabia.

As stated by the jury of the AIA Middle East Awards, “the understated yet rationally beautiful and sustainably designed urban courtyard project is progressively radical in its cultural mixed-use programming.”

Founded and developed by Art Jameel, Hayy embraces and nurtures Jeddah’s dynamic creative community, and presents the full diversity of the arts.

Art Jameel is developing a central Arts Center, plus cinema, artists’ studios, and spaces for performances, events and learning; multiple community partners, from commercial galleries, comedy clubs to eateries and co-working spaces, will take over other sites within the complex.

Fady Jameel, chairman and founder of Art Jameel, said: “We are delighted to celebrate the international and prestigious awards received by ibda design for Hayy: Creative Hub, currently under construction in Jeddah. We look forward to launching this dynamic complex in 2020 for the Saudi community and the region at large. Art Jameel is growing as a collaborative model, working with partners locally in Saudi Arabia and across the world. Hayy: Creative Hub will bring together so many of our organization’s themes and objectives — across the arts, creative sector and entrepreneurship — and in line with Vision 2030.” — SG