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Desert X AlUla 2024 Visitor Centre

Selected in Architectural design

Desert X AlUla is a recurring international contemporary art exhibition, with our visitor centres serving as the central pivot for each edition. The Desert X AlUla 2024 Visitor Centre is the third distinct building in a four-year typological evolution. Building directly upon the spatial principles established in our neighbouring 2020 and 2022 structures—which explored axial symmetry and subtractive mass—the 2024 pavilion shifts from a static gathering space into a directional tool. Positioned within a secluded cul-de-sac of the Wadi AlFann, the building’s defining architectural gesture a 45-degree rotation of the central courtyard relative to the exterior square mass. This geometric operation generates deep, triangular vestibules that choreograph a precise sequence of movement, leading visitors from a compressed, prismatic entrance into an open courtyard, and finally toward a monumental, framed vista of the canyon cliffs. Rather than a passive shelter, the building functions as a spatial lens. By utilizing a strict geometric grid to frame geological formations and light sequences, the structure guides our perception of the context, cultivating a profound awareness of the scale, contours, and ancient history of the Wadi AlFann valley. Ultimately, this final synthesis demonstrates how rigorous geometry can orchestrate a profound, site-specific connection with the landscape, proving that a permanent typological evolution can offer an enduring, transformative impact.

Participant category: Small company (< 10 employees)

Company name: KWY.studio

Country: Portugal

Location: AlUla, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Client: Royal Commission for AlUla

Team: KWY.studio (Ricardo Gomes, Luise Marter, Charlie Corciulo and Saaraa Mitha, assisted by Catarina Mendes and Rui Neto) Commissioner: Royal Commission for AlUla; Management: AtkinsRéalis and Saudconsult; Contractor: Ansab

Edition: 2026

Project status: Realised

Website: www.kwy.studio

Photo credits: photo by Colin Robertson
Photo credits: photo by Colin Robertson
Photo credits: photo by Colin Robertson
Photo credits: photo by Colin Robertson
Photo credits: photo by Colin Robertson
Photo credits: photo by Colin Robertson