Gold Souq Apana Kūlanakauhale by Ahmed Habib

Gold Souq Apana Kūlanakauhale by Ahmed Habib is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Keleawe in Hoʻolālā Kūlanakauhale Competition Category.

KeleaweHoʻolālā Kūlanakauhale· 2026

Gold Souq Apana Kūlanakauhale

by Ahmed Habib

Client: Ahmed Habib

A' Design Award Keleawe Winner in Hoʻolālā Kūlanakauhale Category

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Colors

The Design

About Gold Souq Apana Kūlanakauhale

ʻO Gold Souq he apana kūlanakauhale hoʻohana hui ʻana he 356,000 mika huinahā ma Jeddah e wehewehe hou ana i ka mākeke gula ma ke ʻano he ʻōnaehana kūlanakauhale i hui pū ʻia. Ua hoʻolālā ʻia ma ke ʻano he lole hoʻomau, e hui pū ana i ka hana noʻeau, ke kālepa, ka moʻomeheu, a me ka hoʻokipa ma loko o kahi papa hierarekia ākea maopopo. He iwi kuamoʻo kaʻa wāwae waena e hoʻopaʻa ana i ka hoʻomohala ʻana, e hoʻonui ana i loko o nā pā hale i loaʻa mai nā loina kūlanakauhale Hijazi e hana i kahi ʻike heluhelu ʻia, hele wāwae i hoʻokumu ʻia e ka malu, ka mānoanoa, a me ke kokoke. Ua hoʻokomo ʻia ka hana kaiapuni i loko o ke ʻano kūlanakauhale, kahi e kākoʻo ai ka nui a me ke kahua ākea i ka ʻoluʻolu, ka hoʻomau, a me kahi ʻano kūlanakauhale kūpono.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Keleawe

Ua lanakila ka hoʻolālā Gold Souq Apana Kūlanakauhale i ka A' Design Award Keleawe, he ʻike hoʻohanohano nui loa i hāʻawi ʻia i nā hoʻolālā kūʻokoʻa i ʻike ʻia ma o ka hana noʻeau, ka akamai a me ka makakoho. He mau hana mākaukau a hana noʻeau kupaianaha nā lanakila Keleawe e hōʻoia ana i ka ʻike nui, ka noʻonoʻo a me ka maʻalea o kā lākou poʻe hoʻolālā. Manaʻo ʻia ʻo ka hoʻolālā Gold Souq Apana Kūlanakauhale he mea i mahalo nui ʻia, hoʻohiwahiwa ʻia a aloha ʻia, he ʻoihana a hou loa. ʻO kēia hoʻolālā i lanakila i ka A' Design Award Keleawe e hoʻohui ana i nā hana maikaʻi loa o ka hana noʻeau, ka ʻepekema, ka hoʻolālā a me ka ʻenehana, a maikaʻi no kona nānā ʻana i nā kikoʻī. Hoʻokō maikaʻi ka hoʻolālā Gold Souq Apana Kūlanakauhale i nā pono, hoʻopā i ka makemake, hoʻohiwahiwa i nā manaʻo a huki i ka makemake e ʻike.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: This design redefines the gold market as a complete urban ecosystem where production, trade, and public life coexist. Unlike conventional commercial developments, it integrates retail, workshops, education, and culture within a pedestrian network of shaded streets and courtyards inspired by Hijazi urbanism. A central flow structure organizes movement and visibility, while climate-responsive design ensures comfort. Its strength lies in merging heritage principles with a contemporary, high-performance urban model.
Dimensions & Packaging: Plot Area 356,000 sqm
Foot Print 72,500 sqm
built up area 418,000 sqm
Tags: Hijazi architecture, gold market, mixed-use development, urban ecosystem, pedestrian spine, climate responsive design, souq reinterpretation, cultural urbanism, parametric planning, public realm, Jeddah, Saudia
Production Technology: The design was developed through a parametric and iterative methodology linking circulation, program distribution, and climatic performance. A central flow spine informed massing and spatial hierarchy, supported by simulations for shading and ventilation. Traditional Hijazi elements were reinterpreted using stone cladding, precast concrete, steel structures, timber and wood screens, and high-performance glazing, ensuring durability, thermal efficiency, buildability, and a strong expression of local identity.
Design Challenge: The main challenge was translating the organic complexity of historic Hijazi souks into a contemporary, buildable urban system. Internally, it required balancing cultural authenticity with modern program demands and user expectations. Externally, constraints included climate conditions, large-scale coordination, and regulatory frameworks. The design resolved these through a structured flow-based approach, integrating environmental strategies and flexible planning to maintain identity while ensuring feasibility and performance.
Research: Type of Research: applied urban and climatic research. Research Objectives: to redefine the traditional gold market as a resilient mixed-use ecosystem. Methodology: comparative analysis of historic souks and contemporary retail districts combined with environmental simulations. Data Collection and Tools: solar studies, pedestrian flow mapping, and heat analysis models. Participants: planners, economists, and local stakeholders. Results: improved environmental comfort and commercial synergy. Insights and Impact: a scalable model linking heritage, economic performance, and climate-responsive urban design.
Inspiration: The project is inspired by the organic growth of historic Hijazi cities, where movement, climate, and commerce shape urban form over time. Traditional souqs were not planned as isolated buildings but emerged as interconnected networks of streets, courtyards, and shaded passages driven by trade and social interaction. This logic informed the design, where a continuous flow organizes space and activity. The aim was to reinterpret these principles within a contemporary framework, creating a resilient environment that reflects local identity while supporting modern patterns of production and exchange.
Project Duration: Design started in May 2025 and finished in December 2025, in Cairo, Egypt. The Project is to be executed n Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Operation Flow: The project operates through a continuous pedestrian flow that structures movement, visibility, and interaction. A central spine connects courtyards, retail, workshops, and cultural spaces, creating sequential experiences from arrival to immersion. Vehicular access is limited to the perimeter, ensuring a safe, walkable environment. Layered circulation enhances accessibility and engagement, while the integration of production and trade within public space creates a dynamic, efficient, and socially active urban system.
Image Credits: Ahmed Habib