Giga-projects Futuristic architect lands arts centre in Saudi’s Qiddiya By Andrew Hammond June 27, 2024, 9:08 AM Qiddiya Investment Company The arts centre, designed by Tom Wiscombe, will be a futuristic building that straddles rugged mountains outside Riyadh Tom Wiscombe designs chosen Centre to include three theatres A ‘beacon of creativity and innovation’ Saudi sports and entertainment city Qiddiya is to build a performing arts centre designed by leading architect Tom Wiscombe, whose futuristic building will straddle rugged mountains outside Riyadh. The centre will include 3,000 seats spread across three theatres including an amphitheatre with views of the capital. Qiddiya, one of the Public Investment Fund’s giga-projects, said in a statement the centre would be a “beacon of creativity and innovation that will elevate Saudi Arabia’s cultural landscape”. NewsletterGet the Best of AGBI delivered straight to your inbox every week Saudi Arabia has heavily invested in arts and culture as part of its social and economic reform programme. Construction of a series of opera houses and museums is now underway in Riyadh, Jeddah and AlUla. Architecture has been another key element of the plans, making Saudi Arabia a playground for the world’s top designers. The lead giga-project Neom includes a horizontal city called The Line and a series of tourist resorts featuring avant-garde designs that seek to merge futurism with tradition and the physical environment. Qiddiya Investment CompanyAccording to plans, the performing arts centre is expected to host more than 260 performances and welcome 800,000 visitors a year A Qiddiya official told AGBI that California-based Tom Wiscombe Architects, which has a reputation for cutting edge work involving vast crystal-like slabs, would design the centre. Qiddiya declined to give the estimated completion date or cost. They were partly chosen for “leveraging the natural landscapes of the cliff and desert” and “innovative use of technology,” the official said. Wiscombe is one of a handful of global architects working on The Line. Neom registers 33 new patents for projects Saudi giga-project designs to merge tradition and futurism Adventure giga-project The Rig ‘definitely happening’ Artist impressions of the Qiddiya centre show it perched on the edge of the Tuwaiq cliffs facing Riyadh. With an original estimated cost of $9.8 billion, Qiddiya is planned to become a Disneyland-style suburb of the capital with Six Flags rollercoasters, a Dragon Ball theme park, a sports stadium and esports and gaming district.