Leaving aside, for a moment, the usual incursion into a “post-Euclidean” space shaped by complex futuristic geometries and daring material experimentations, this time it is unusually to the past and the vernacular that Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) turns to for design inspiration. Field of action is Asaan Museum in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, currently under construction.
The building, which is not coincidentally called ‘asaan’ (Arabic: ‘heritage transmitted from generation to generation"), is located in Diriyah, a place considered to be the "cradle" of the Saudi nation and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010 and is designed to become a strategic hub for the preservation and promotion of the country's cultural heritage.
Supported by the Misk Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to youth education and empowerment, the museum aims to celebrate the national cultural heritage through interactive exhibitions, immersive experiences, workshops and events, as well as to provide conservation and restoration of archaeological artefacts through specialised workshops. As Khaled Al-Saqer, CEO of Asaan, Misk Heritage Museum, says: “Asaan’s role extends beyond preserving and displaying artifacts; it seeks to inspire meaningful engagement through immersive experiences that connect past, present, and future generations, strengthening pride in Saudi identity and sharing our cultural legacy with the world. Driven by our belief in community participation as a pillar of heritage preservation, Asaan will offer a wide range of interactive programs curated by leading experts. These initiatives aim to foster cultural passion, inspire creativity, and empower all members of society to engage with and celebrate our heritage”.
The construction that seems to emerge spontaneously from the earth is a homage to the Najdi architecture, characterised by buildings made of clay bricks or mud, with patios and courtyards to facilitate natural ventilation and shading in the torrid desert climate.
The work, with its composite and rigorous volume, is distributed over three floors and wrapped in full-bodied walls made of locally produced clay-mud bricks which, through their high thermal inertia, allow control of internal microclimate comfort by reducing the contribution of mechanised air conditioning.
Three shaded courtyards serve as the junction of the different functional areas (educational, artistic and administrative), interconnected by a network of gardens, squares and paths establishing a profound bond between the built work and the landscape to which it belongs.
