Western Hajj Terminal home of Islamic Arts Biennale First Edition, by OMA
13/01/2023.
[Jeddah] Saudi Arabia 23.01 > 23.04.2023
metalocus, ANDRÉS MATAS
metalocus, ANDRÉS MATAS
Under the title "Awwal Bait", (which translates as First House), the first edition of the Islamic Biennale warms up to open in Jeddah, with a scenography designed by Dutch architecture practice OMA, the project is led by Iyad Alsaka with Kaveh Dabiri and Saskia Simon, and is hosted by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation.
Artworks are will displayed over 120,000 square meters of exhibition spaces, where visitors, artists and curators will can a new dimension of art in the Western Hajj Terminal, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) and winner of the Aga Khan Award in 1983.
Jeddah is a Saudi Arabian port city on the Red Sea and is a modern commercial hub and gateway for pilgrimages to the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina. The city’s Al-Balad historic district dates to the 7th century and retains traditional homes built from coral.
The biennale explores how Islam’s most sacred sites – Makkah, the destination of the annual pilgrimage, and Madinah, the place where Prophet Mohamed is buried – inspire Muslims around the world to create a sense of belonging in their home, bringing unity in a plural world.
Artworks are will displayed over 120,000 square meters of exhibition spaces, where visitors, artists and curators will can a new dimension of art in the Western Hajj Terminal, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) and winner of the Aga Khan Award in 1983.
Jeddah is a Saudi Arabian port city on the Red Sea and is a modern commercial hub and gateway for pilgrimages to the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina. The city’s Al-Balad historic district dates to the 7th century and retains traditional homes built from coral.
The biennale explores how Islam’s most sacred sites – Makkah, the destination of the annual pilgrimage, and Madinah, the place where Prophet Mohamed is buried – inspire Muslims around the world to create a sense of belonging in their home, bringing unity in a plural world.
Rendering. Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah by OMA. Image courtesy of OMA
Rendering. Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah by OMA. Image courtesy of OMA
Rendering. Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah by OMA. Image courtesy of OMA
Rendering. Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah by OMA. Image courtesy of OMA
Detail. Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah by OMA. Image courtesy of OMA
Overview details. Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah by OMA. Image courtesy of OMA
Model. Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah by OMA. Image courtesy of OMA
Aya Al-Bakree, CEO, Diriyah Biennale Foundation. Image Courtesy of Diriyah Biennale Foundation
Western Hajj Terminal, King Abdulaziz Airport by SOM. Image courtesy SOM. Image by Jay Langlois / Owens-Corning
Western Hajj Terminal, King Abdulaziz Airport by SOM. Image courtesy SOM. Image by Jay Langlois / Owens-Corning
“This exhibition is an opportunity to discover and learn about Islamic culture. More than 200 ancient objects are on display, some of which have never been seen by the larger public. In addition, there are artworks by contemporary artists from Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Middle East and Northern Africa to countries like the UK and South Africa, giving a new dimension to the timeless rituals of Islam.”
Iyad Alsaka, OMA Partner.
Western Hajj Terminal, King Abdulaziz Airport by SOM. Image courtesy SOM. Image by Jay Langlois / Owens-Corning.
The OMA-designed scenography divides the exhibition space into two complementary parts:
(1) A choreographed trajectory through a sequence of newly built galleries allows visitors a progressive sense of orientation as they move from one room to another. Inspired by the concept of the qiblah – the direction Muslims face when they pray – the exhibits manifest gradually in a journey from darkness to light, starting in a dimly lit room filled with 17th-century astrolabes – used to calculate the qiblah – and concluding in the bright space hosting an installation which incorporates the First Saudi Door of the Ka`bah in Makkah, installed during the reign of King Abdul Aziz.
(2) Under the terminal’s canopy, a desert-like landscape alludes to the journey of Hijrah – Prophet Mohamed’s journey from Makkah to Madinah. Slopes and slanted walls of various heights, arranged in relation to the geometry of the existing structure, have been built to display the artworks, creating a sense of exploration throughout the visit. Two freestanding pavilions act as reference points in the open landscape, exhibiting artefacts from Makkah and Madinah. In contrast to the rough atmosphere outside, the exhibits in the two pavilions are embedded in a bright, diaphanous screen wrapping the perimeter of the walls.
(2) Under the terminal’s canopy, a desert-like landscape alludes to the journey of Hijrah – Prophet Mohamed’s journey from Makkah to Madinah. Slopes and slanted walls of various heights, arranged in relation to the geometry of the existing structure, have been built to display the artworks, creating a sense of exploration throughout the visit. Two freestanding pavilions act as reference points in the open landscape, exhibiting artefacts from Makkah and Madinah. In contrast to the rough atmosphere outside, the exhibits in the two pavilions are embedded in a bright, diaphanous screen wrapping the perimeter of the walls.
Rendering. Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah by OMA. Image courtesy of OMA.
Rendering. Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah by OMA. Image courtesy of OMA.
Independent from the theme of the Biennale, a separate gallery named AlMadar, or The Orbit, features items from twelve local and international institutions including Kuwait’s Al Sabah Collection of Islamic art, together with an exhibition that pays homage to the Hajj Terminal – both celebrating their 40th anniversary.
“Our scenography design aims to create a space that works with the cable-stayed, fabric-roof of the Hajj Terminal – a seminal piece of modern architecture known to Muslims around the world – literally reinventing it as an umbrella for Islamic Arts.”
Kaveh Dabiri, OMA Associate.
The project is OMA’s first built work in Saudi Arabia and marks a new chapter in the office’s long-standing involvement in the country. OMA’s portfolio in the Middle East includes projects such as Qatar National Library, the headquarters of the Qatar Foundation and Concrete at Alserkal Avenue in Dubai. OMA’s think tank AMO has published extensively on the rapid urbanization of the region in two special issues of Volume magazine, Al Manakh (2007) and Al Manakh: Gulf Continued (2010).
More information
Venue / Localitation
Western Hajj Terminal. M4QV+V5G, King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah 23721, Saudi Arabia.
Dates
The Islamic Arts Biennale will run from 23 January until 23 April 2023.
Exhibition design
OMA. Partner Iyad Alsaka with Associate Kaveh Dabiri and Project Architect Saskia Simon.
CEO, Diriyah Biennale Foundation
Aya Al-Bakree.
OMA. Office for Metropolitan Architecture
Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) is a leading international partnership practising architecture, urbanism, and cultural analysis. OMA's buildings and masterplans around the world insist on intelligent forms while inventing new possibilities for content and everyday use. OMA is led by eight partners – Rem Koolhaas, Reinier de Graaf, Ellen van Loon, Shohei Shigematsu, Iyad Alsaka, Chris van Duijn, Jason Long, and Managing Partner-Architect David Gianotten – and maintains offices in Rotterdam, New York, Hong Kong, Doha, and Australia.
OMA-designed buildings currently under construction are the renovation of Kaufhaus des Westens (KaDeWe) in Berlin, The Factory in Manchester, Hangzhou Prism, the CMG Times Center in Shenzhen and the Simone Veil Bridge in Bordeaux.
OMA’s completed projects include Taipei Performing Arts Centre (2022), Norra Tornen in Stockholm (2020), Axel Springer Campus in Berlin (2020), MEETT Toulouse Exhibition and Convention Centre (2020), Galleria in Gwanggyo (2020), nhow RAI Hotel in Amsterdam (2020), a new building for Brighton College (2020), and Potato Head Studios in Bali (2020). Earlier buildings include Fondazione Prada in Milan (2018), Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow (2015), Fondazione Prada in Milan (2015); G-Star Headquarters in Amsterdam (2014); Shenzhen Stock Exchange (2013); De Rotterdam (2013), CCTV Headquarters in Beijing (2012), New Court, the headquarters for Rothschild Bank in London (2011); Milstein Hall at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York (2011); and Maggie's Centre, a cancer care centre in Glasgow (2011). Earlier buildings include Casa da Música in Porto (2005), Seattle Central Library (2004), and Netherlands Embassy in Berlin (2003).
Iyad Alsaka
Iyad Alsaka joined OMA as a director in 2007 and became partner in 2011. Responsible for OMA’s work in the Middle East and Africa, Iyad has led projects including the acclaimed masterplan for Waterfront City in Dubai, the HIA Airport City masterplan in Doha, Concrete at Alserkal Avenue, a new public venue for Dubai’s cultural district, and the Qatar National Library in Doha. Iyad's current projects include The Prestige Mumbai, the Wafra Tower in Kuwait City, the Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai, and the Qatar Cultural and Sports Hub in Doha. Born in 1969 in Syria, Iyad holds a degree in Architectural Engineering from the University of Aleppo.
