awful

Greg, your hilarious, cant be believe i found you critiquing projects on Bustler

where is the intelligence? stones in the desert? this is so stupid!

yea...so stupid....why can't architecture just be gables and boxes, for god's sakes. why on earth would we want to see anything new. i mean what is the point of being creative when everything is so excellent as it is.

er....
sheesh. this may not be anything beyond the formal but at least it is challenging (from a constuction standpoint). Archinect is the last place I would have expected to find unanimously adversariel responses to something challenging.

if we only go where we've been, then we'll only ever know what we thus far know.

That's just beautiful.

Sure, it's just stones in the desert, but whatever. Such simple forms on such a large scale... I love it.

Look just because someone doesnt like something new doesnt mean they like something old.

This is really not a very good looking formalist project. If you want cool forms, make them cool forms, not awkward blobs. Im not convinced anybody will look at this in 20 years and see it as anything other than jumping on a trend.

i like it, reminds me of hematite

I guess what the computer graphics can't capture is structure's interactions with the landscape and the desert light. For me, it will seem as much a part of the landscape in which it will ultimately reside as much as it will seem alien: which is great architecture's rasion d'etre I would have thought.

It's certainly a challenge, very Gehry, and very cool, not anti-pun intended.

nice

-It's like the 21st C. version of a Flinstones Skyscraper. Well that was my first impression, which doesn't count.

-After closer inspection I am in absolute love with the ornamental-statuesque forms.

-Amazing attention and variety has been delivered to the buildings interior spaces, I look forward to seeing it's structure.

-It reminds me of Frank Gehry's jewlery line that he designed for Tiffany & Co.

--JD

It's beautiful. It looks futuristic and ancient at the same time. Looks like they (the "stones") have been shaped and polished by thousands of years of desert sand storms, which makes them a natural piece of the environment. Another remarkable piece of architecture by Snøhetta, makes me proud of being norwegian!

It is amazing how people can find cool such decadent example of architecture. Good design is everything but bottomless novelty or absurd eccentricity. The worst of all is that all of us are paying for such ridiculous exuberance going on in Dubai and Saudi Arabia through rising fuel prices. What example of foolishness!

that what i call shiiit

and shit happens when a clever designer meets with a rich and stupid client and when you believe that (The building reflects the history of oil in Saudi Arabia) you must know that you are stupid too
how the hill this massing reflects the history of the oil please dont tell me im not looking to understand.

good architecture happens and ever happened when poor is the inspirer

a saudi friend once asked me why dont we have famous architect in saudi arabia although we have a lot of money?
I said thats why (the a lot of money).
when you use to know how abstracted architecture works then you may have good architects

saudi culture they say ..
poolshit and poolshit
if you are searching for the beauty of saudi culture then Rasem Badran can show it here

http://www.daralomran.com/

This is an awful building. Anyone who approves of this building in the middle of a sand plot is not an architect. So it has a form that someone pulled from their rear cheeks. Just looks like a typical "designer" selling out to big money.

Es magnífico, fiel reprecentante de la cultura árabe. La ensación de solides y al mismo tiempo levesa saltan a la vista. La posicion en que se encuentran, como si una mano las uviera acomodado...obra divida ?
Y por que no, un renacimiento, a los hojos de occidente, de una cultura tan antigua.

1) Saudi and other Gulf Emirate nationals fund regional terrorism to cause a sense of imminent catastrophe, which in turn causes oil prices to rise far beyond anything that could be justified by ordinary market forces. We are forced to cooperate and hand over our money.
2) The resulting Arab nouveau riche decide to flaunt their vast wealth building an ostentatious collection of lavish monuments to kitsch.
3) The military-petro-industrial-congressional complex in the US consolidates the power they saw slipping away at the end of the Cold War in the early 1990's, and to avoid such a fright in the future, they decide to sovietize US society. Their UK lapdog government decides to do the same.
4) We look at these pretty pictures, like dim-witted, tasteless simpletons.

Welcome, Comrades! Welcome to the glorious Union of Soviet Capitalist Republics!

inpenetrable shiny phallis... gets 'em every time.

does it penetrate in and out of the ground?

half us are not architects. what a clever observation, Kris. What a fool you are.

now that we have decided who is and who isn't an architect... let's take aim and fire.

it's an okay building, but why does it have to be built in the middle of nowhere (according to these pictures)? it's creating more city sprawl and everyone will have to drive or take transit to get there... sigh.

also, it looks like the shiny back of an ipod: looks great the first week you have it and then it gets all smudged. will this building look good in 5,10,20 years or just outdated and ugly like so many other "trendy" buildings?

This morning I read two posted articles. The first presenting this project with comments from around the world. The second was a commentary on development of architecture and planning in the U.S. specifically.
It can be viewed at http://www.planetizen.com/node/33672
My question to all is, "Is there a 'general' relationship between the two?"

Let people be with there creativity. Just because you don't understand the meaning of this art, it wrong.

..it's nice

I think it's brilliant.

Another example of irresponsible use of energy, resources, and material. In an era where energy conservation and sustainability is so pertinent, we as the design community should be more critical of projects like these that completely turn their back on responsible design and just buy into the trendy, blobby, starchitect elitist status.

Terrible. Projects like these make me ashamed to be an architect.

New and provocative architecture is something that should also challenge the state of our resources, energy, and economy. Not just to design in a parameter-free, egotistical dream world.

This, what I see as a fake oasis, is making me very, very uncomfortable, on some level. I don't know who I feel worse for, being the builders, or the users, or anyone impassionated by these "glorious" renderings. More damaging to my eyes still, is every road leads to it. I can only imagine: many decisions leading to whether this actually stays together and holds up will be realized on-site, non-architecturally -- you know, "no one will see if we do it this way". Aggghhh, I'm melting!!! The mantra of this work must be 'Centralize, centralize, make feudal architecture'; I can see a poetry of forms, but no connectedness to reality. My final complaint is that it misleads youth into thinking architecture is a pursuit of poetic perfection, and not as simple as imagining the experience(s) of the construction and use of the building on the site, a task more satisfying than glorious.
'saudi culture they say ..
poolshit and poolshit' -Wisam of Jordan-Amman

This should be a student's sketch in the first year achitectural department.... very talented in imagination, using computer in design and ofcourse rendering....but definetly is not a mature architect....
Architecture is about integrating the building with its users, builders and with the land it stands on.
The building stands on Saudi Arabia, a country with a very rich culture and history, that they still beive in and hold on to, they even still wear their traditional costume...... the point is they have something to reflect....
what i believe is ignoring such a potential and intruding something totally odd just to look like wooooow is really weak and off point.

Besides all the sustainability issues, the geo-political references, the ethical and aesthetical divergences; this project (an thus, the future building), is "wining" the battle of recognition, much like the today loved and treasured Eiffel Tower! More that one hundred years ago, it was deemed as dreadful, to say the least!
Let's only hope (to live and see) if the final score will be favorable to Snøhetta's design!

Post Scriptum: I do love the interior atmospheres!!!

I think it's pretty beautiful although it's so simple
it's just like you pick several stones and put them together casually.
Yeah! Architecture can be so simple
Why are people always considering it complicated?

Its intriguing... disjointed from context a bit uncomfortable in its own. A very good attempt but lacks depth. Although I believe this design could be turned unto a sustainable building.
Its not beautiful- should architecture be beautiful?
overall a fair design and a great opportunity for these designers- congratulations

wisam- you can't be serious...

wait, wait... thats a blob right?

my friend .. Alex Santander
why should we turn a building into sustainable while we can make it from the beginning sustainable ( if they can )
(A very good attempt but lacks depth) let me tell you that a good architect makes deep solutions from the first attempt (don't you think so ?)
but that attempt doesn't promote to be a superficial one ..
let me tell you what a superficiality is ...
a superficiality is architecture mustn't be beautiful ..
a superficiality is fair design and a great opportunity for these designers
and i don't know if a superficiality deserves a congratulation ..
That what i think .. don't you

I would suggest some of you, should experience the reality of Saudi Arabia before making judgements. It is a county in its early phases most developments are in the desert and within areas already built if there is a space not yet built on its just a plot of sand. In reality its incomparable to western or even certain Arab countries. And how a cultural center will be used and interacted with here is also so different than other cultures. Factors to be understood and kept in mind. Perhaps a wow factor is what it will take to capture peoples imagination here, cultural centers are not common in Saudi arabia. And why are you so upset about it?

architecture is not about style…
personally I believe that architecture should explore the contemporary state of “things” be it global or local… a complicated subject to argue in here…
and depending on your particular process sustainable strategies can be introduced well after the schematics. I personally determine the practicality of specific sustainable strategies during the design development stage. Furthermore, my personal process is not linear, to maintain flexibility, allowing the introduction of more efficient or “correct” solutions to a problem even during the construction document stage- from the images given here it is impossible to tell if this particular building is sustainable or not…
sustainability is not the main purpose or novelty in architecture it is a given…
what is superficiality in architecture? it’s certainly a quick, unexamined response…

i like to know who's done it,its beautiful........ and please help me to find MR.EGDAR OR EDMAR VALIENTE......PLEASE HELP ME

Wisam, there's a reason why Snohetta won amongst the likes of Rem, Zaha and notable others - don't you think they all made "deep solutions" from the start? Snohetta has been successful in delivering cultural buildings and this one could impact the entire country! And thank you Iman for putting everyone in their seats - Saudi Arabian culture begs to catch-up and upon closer examination and a little homework, the stone tectonics with their respective programme will challenge mundane "Jerde-like" formulaic notions of what it means to really experience culture. I mean, an auditorium/opera, cinema, library and museum is not your average walk-in-the-park experience in a country where women are not even allowed to drive! Nor is a Tuesday night at the movies even possible with your girlfriend/boyfriend!! And further to this, the history of Saudi Aramco, despite the fact that its the world's largest oil company, seem to realize that they finally have to do something for the community. The facility appears as though it could sustain some sort of urban fabric below its oasis ellipse, particularly when there's paths leading up to a mysterious square hole in the center! WTF is that?! Perhaps sustaining a culture could be more important than embellishing solar cells within the project! Regardless, the variables for success becomes a challenge - on one side is a shiny trophy for the winner(s) and on the other side, is the black conscience of it all. F@!.!! Its what makes nations go to war!! I didn't mean oil but ego(s)!! And don't all Starchitect's have it??.

Meaningful or perhaps not meaningful questions, just like today's architecture:
1. Is architecture the art of composing forms?
2. Does architecture have anything with locality?
3. Does architecture reflect us if we can afford it?
4. Can a cultural center being so isolated from the culture, physically and metaphoracally?
5. Is a catchy form a beautiful one?
6. Do anyone really understand Saudi culture to design a cultural center for it?
7. How benficial is the presence of international architectural works to the development of local architectural heritage?
8. Are we thinking at all, clients and designers?

WOW! Very beautiful photos!

Hi, I am a jealous retard and I post bullshit here about the building.
Fucking racists, get a damn clue, instead of feeding on your amazing *cough* media.

Do they (ARAMCO) really need it? I guess they could donate the money for many a good projects for welfare of mankind. But speaking of the architecture in Saudi Arabia, I am convinced that no good architecture can ever be evolved under the sahdows of kings and dictators; only flashy and dazzling to look at for architecture under coerscion is architecture belittled. It is architecture of the few, for the few, by the few while goodness of architecture through ages is that it is created by the people, for the peole and belongs to people.

In such an ultra-conservative society, Saudi Arabia desperately needs any project that promotes the arts, culture & humanities and, consequently, a more open view to the world.

The fact that Aramco (an oil company) are building this project and donating it to the community strikes me as very responsible behaviour from an oil company. No doubt the're hoping for some good PR on the back of it.

Aramco could have commissioned a local architect and saved themselves a lot of money but commissioned a highly regarded international firm instead as they're hoping to create project that is a world icon and not only local.

Looking at the building itself, my information is that Snohetta are designing to a Gold LEED certification standard; in other words the introverted nature of the building as well as the use of courtyards (mostly) solid exteriors, are actually an appropriate and sensitive to the local climate.

Hisham i totally agree with you

Anis Siddiqi, i'm sorry to say that you are very SAD and frustrated from your country and leader, if you think that of kings, then you need to seek help

CONGRATULATIONS to ALL Saudis to have such a great country and leaders that give soemthing to the people

you should check out the following:
KING ABDULLA INTERNATIONAL GARDEN - Riyadh KSA
KING ABDULLA UNIVERSITY - Jeddah KSA
KING ABDULLA ECONOMIC CITY - Jeddah KSA
KING ABDULLA FINANCIAL DISTRICT - Riyadh KSA

and many many more to come

Culturural Centre is a great project and whoever critisise it, i'm afraid to mention that he / she is a sad looser

looking forward to visit it and be proud of it

Where can i find the life and achievements of King Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia? I want to read the life and achievements of King Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia. Please provide the website of King Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia. Thank you for your time.

Studying Medicine in Saudi Arabia(King Abdulaziz University-Jeddah)? Hey everybody,Just wondering, do any of you know the GPA or average you would need if you came from an American School (Saudi Citizen) to get admission into King Abdulaziz University (jeddah) Faculty of Medicine? Thanks,

for those who think this amazing building is plain ugly then WHY are you looking at it?! DONT POST NEGITAVE COMMENTS PEOPLE SHEESH!! very close people of mine are working on this project day and night and its really getting Saudi to get noticed so what if its a bunch of stones in the dessert i think its very beautiful and artistic and just so unique! Saudi Arabia is trying something new so just TRY and support us people! or ill slap you... lol

13 year old girl