A groundbreaking commercial and landscape architecture project called Attache, designed by BRICKLAB, has been completed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, marking a significant milestone in the kingdom's cultural transformation. The 5,000-square-meter project, finished in 2024, represents a dramatic shift in Saudi Arabia's approach to public cultural spaces and entertainment venues.
The project emerges from a remarkable period of social and cultural change in Saudi Arabia. For decades, musical performances and other non-religious public gatherings were strictly controlled by the Saudi government, effectively confining most forms of public cultural expression, especially music, to the privacy of homes and gated communities. This restrictive environment severely limited opportunities for public artistic and cultural engagement throughout the kingdom.
By 2016, the country began witnessing wholesale social, cultural, and economic transformations aimed at weaning off religious extremism, improving the quality of life for citizens, and attracting foreign investment. These changes aligned with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 reform program, which sought to diversify the economy and modernize society while preserving cultural heritage and values.
A pivotal moment came in 2019 when a small group of entrepreneurs established Middle Beast, widely known by the acronym MDL Beast, to launch a series of large-scale music festivals across the country. This historic development represented a dramatic shift in common attitudes towards public gatherings and cultural events. More importantly, it marked the first time that the previously hidden underground culture of electronic music became accessible to the general public.
The Attache project was designed by lead architects Abdulrahman Gazzaz and Turki Gazzaz from BRICKLAB, working with an extensive team of designers and technical specialists. The design team included Zahiyah AL Raddadi, Abeer Nowality, Zeina Zenati, Aseel Amoudi, Adil Sharef, Seema, and Razan Alnajjar, while the technical team was led by Osama Altal. The project benefited from collaboration with multiple specialized firms, including DAR for project management, MAC as the general contractor, Studio Libani for landscape architecture, and Via Lighting for engineering, consulting, and lighting design.
The architectural photography was captured by Sultan Bin Mutarrid and Baya Studios, documenting the innovative use of materials including steel and concrete in the project's construction. The venue represents a new category of commercial and landscape architecture that supports cultural activities and public gatherings in the Saudi context.
This project stands as a testament to Saudi Arabia's ongoing cultural renaissance and its commitment to creating spaces that accommodate the changing social landscape. The Attache project not only provides a venue for cultural expression but also symbolizes the broader transformation taking place across the kingdom, where traditional restrictions are giving way to new opportunities for public engagement and artistic expression.
