Ahmed Habib · CLIENT: Ahmed Habib
With a construction budget exceeding 1.2 billion Saudi riyals, the project is conceived as an urban Siq where architectural masses rise like landforms while a shaded valley organizes pedestrian movement. The development is structured around three axes reflecting faith, trade, and stability, linking seven masses through shaded routes and open spaces. Terraced forms emerge from landscaped courtyards and shaded paths, while flowing canopies extend across walkways to provide climate protection and connect different parts of the project, forming a distinctive urban setting in Jeddah.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Set on a 356,000 sqm site in Jeddah, This project reinterprets the spatial logic of a siq within a contemporary mixed-use development. Instead of isolated buildings, the project forms a continuous urban landscape where terraced masses frame a shaded valley of movement. Large canopy structures create a protected pedestrian environment adapted to Jeddah climate, while seven interconnected masses integrate retail, cultural, educational, and hospitality functions within a unified spatial system.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Plot Area 356,000 square meters,
Built Up Area 400,000 square meters,
Construction Budget 1,250,000,000 Saudi Riyals - Tags
- Retail, Commercial, Hospitality, Cultural, Architecture, Real Estate, Construction, Saudi, Urban, Masterplan
- Production Technology
- The project was developed through a system driven urban methodology translating site forces into spatial organization. Parametric studies informed axes, massing, and pedestrian circulation, while environmental analysis shaped the shading strategy. Terraced volumes and canopy structures were modeled to improve shade and walkability in Jeddah climate. The material palette combines steel, stone, textured concrete, wood, glass, and metal screens, while modular planning enables flexible retail and production spaces within a coherent spatial system.
- Design Challenge
- The main challenge was translating complex urban forces into a coherent spatial system while responding to Jeddah harsh climate. Balancing cultural continuity with contemporary commercial demands required rethinking spatial organization, density, and pedestrian circulation. Environmental constraints, large scale coordination, and program complexity required extensive testing. The resulting design organizes the project as a shaded urban Siq, improving walkability, climatic protection, and spatial clarity.
- 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
- Visitors move through the project along a shaded valley linking plazas, courtyards, and interior spaces. Terraced masses create a sequence of outdoor spaces where retail, culture, and hospitality unfold along walkable routes. Large canopy structures provide shade and shelter, allowing smooth transitions between shaded plazas and climate-controlled interiors. This arrangement supports continuous pedestrian flow while maintaining clear orientation across the development.
- Research
- This project is based on applied urban design research exploring how contemporary market districts can respond to climate, culture and social movement in hot environments. The objective was to reinterpret traditional market structures for Jeddah conditions. The methodology combined urban analysis, environmental studies, parametric modeling, and site research, supported by discussions with clients and users. Iterative testing informed a shaded urban Siq linking architecture masses, improving walkability, circulation, and commercial interaction.
- Inspiration
- The design draws inspiration from a Siq, a natural passage between rock formations, combined with forces shaping Jeddah urban structure. Architectural masses rise like landforms while a shaded valley organizes pedestrian movement. Three axes reflecting faith, trade, and stability structure the masterplan, linking seven masses through shaded routes and open spaces integrating landscape, movement, and commerce.
- Image Credits
- Ahmed Habib
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