Newark architecture firm Benoy appointed to design $1.8 billion cutting edge entertainment city in the heart of Riyadh

The Newark architecture firm Benoy has unveiled its design plans for a new cutting-edge entertainment city in the heart of Riyadh.

The project will be developed by Abdullah Al Othaim Investment Company, one of the Saudi Arabia’s largest shopping mall operators.

Benoy’s design brings together old and new parts of the city in a new leisure destination on Riyadh’s Golden Strip.

The development — to be called Konoz ‘Box of Jewels’ — will be a mixed-use development and will include an entertainment city, a luxury hotel and residential offerings, in addition to commercial and retail outlets.

Benoy, based in Handley House on Northgate, Newark also has offices in London, China, India and North America.

The new scheme works as part of the wider ‘Vision 2030’, positioning Riyadh as a 24-hour destination to live, work, and shop.

The design concept centres around creating an attractive walkable district and neighbourhood, where people would be able to enjoy a variety of culture and leisure activities.

Bringing together cues from contemporary and historic Riyadh, with four key districts reflecting the different experiences of Riyadh.

In addition to its commercial spaces, the project features 15,000 sq m of green areas, parking for 5,500 vehicles, a 120,000 sq m commercial center, a luxury hotel with 250 rooms, 120 serviced residential apartments, and an additional apartment complex that includes 700 apartments.

The project also saw Benoy partner with Pragma Consulting as part of the scheme development to help inform the customer experience and retail plan.

This involved a comprehensive primary research study undertaken with residents of Riyadh, to obtain insights on fast-evolving consumer behaviours, along with a detailed evaluation of global retail and development trends, to provide data-driven insights to optimise the design.

Holmes Wood worked on a placemaking strategy for Konoz. Working closely with the rest of the Handley House team, they established and applied a set of principles that sought to shape the identity of the new development.

Their strategic approach saw them identify opportunities and locations for architecture, landscape, lighting, events programming, art and digital that together would create both a quality visitor experience and commercial value for the Abdullah Al Othaim Development Authority.

Uncommon Land designed all the landscape spaces including ground level and roofscapes.

Jamie Webb, head of EMEA at Benoy said: “It has been a pleasure to work on the design for a development that will truly transform the face of Riyadh — and bring an unparalleled mixed-use offering to the city. Our design aims to forge destinations where people want to live and spend time with their family and friends.”

It will also align with the newly developed Riyadh Metro System as a part of wider transport-oriented development for the city.