When charged with building a concert hall that would become a landmark in the oasis of AlUla, Giò Forma Architects operated under a simple guiding principal—”if a building can not compete with the landscape it should enhance it.” And thus, the mirrored Maraya Concert Hall was born. Opened in 2019, the building is both functional and aesthetically breathtaking thanks to an exterior clad in 9,740 square meters (approximately 104,840 square feet) of mirrors.
Maraya, which translates to mirror/reflection in Arabic, is an entertaining space hosting operas, concerts, congresses, and more. Built as part of the first phase of a masterplan to transform AlUla into a living museum, the concert hall is a stunning reflection of the desert landscape that makes this ancient Arab oasis so special.
“The silent and respectful mirror cube is a way to create a dialogue between nature, history, and the future,” shares the Italian architecture firm, who worked with Black Engineering on the project. “From the very beginning we had the idea of bringing the landscape into the theatre, of making the context the stage; thus creating the gigantic stage opening to the outside. The aim was to add something to the past, not replace it. And it’s when you’ve seen everything that you go back to the essential.”
The three-story theater is built as a cuboidal steel frame, with a large retractable window that allows the desert landscape to become part of the performances. The interior decor also reflects the firm’s wish to blend the space with nature, with colors and textures guided by the desert landscape.
The exterior mirrors posed a challenge for the designers, and were specially manufactured to withstand hard conditions like sandstorms, gusting winds, and extreme temperatures. The precise positioning of the mirrored tiles allows for visitors to see a perfect reflection from up close, but for the building to appear as a shimmering mirage when viewed at a distance.
Currently the largest mirrored building in the world, Maraya Concert Hall has already won an official Guinness World Record. Having hosted concerts by renowned musicians like Andrea Bocelli, the space is fulfilling its brief to be an art and culture landmark for AlUla.
The Maraya Concert Hall in AlUla, Saudi Arabia, is the largest mirrored building in the world.
The building is both functional and aesthetically breathtaking thanks to an exterior clad in 9,740 square meters of mirrors.
The interior is also impressive, with a color palette based on the surrounding desert landscape.
Giò Forma Architects designed it under a simple guiding principal,”if a building can not compete with the landscape it should enhance it.”
