‘Mashrabiya’ Gallery Design
King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture | Country: Saudi Arabia | Year: 2015
As traditional Arabic ‘mashrabiyas’ were veils drawn against the outside world, this exhibition’s architectural design serves the same purpose: filtering the daylight flooding into the venue space and to provide a shaded interior conducive to the display of artworks, proving a contemplative environmental experience for the visitors.
The slatted, semi-open structures form outer walls and ceilings, rendering the exhibition permeable to the curiosity of the visitor who is drawn towards this place, through a glimpse, intriguing by its sights, atmosphere and activities within.
The structural forms, inspired by traditional Arabian mashrabiyas, take visual and material cues from traditional and modern Islamic-inspired architectural design. When viewed as a whole, the architectural forms and profiles emote or hint at the forms of grouped Bedouin tents from a distance, further playing on the theme.
