Zaha Hadid Architects begins construction on its first adobe building

Architecture studio Zaha Hadid Architects has unveiled its design for a mud-brick museum named Asaan in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, which will be the studio's first adobe building.

Construction recently commenced on the Asaan museum in the At-Turaif district, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Riyadh that contains vernacular Najdi architecture and mud-brick structures.

Informed by the neighbouring buildings, Asaan will have walls made from adobe – a construction material made from a mixture of earth, water and organic matter such as straw.

According to Zaha Hadid Architects, local clay will be used to form adobe bricks for the museum, which will be the studio's "first adobe-constructed project worldwide".

"Built to a thickness that provides high insulating properties in Diriyah's hot desert climate, the low-embodied-carbon adobe walls incorporate a high thermal mass to maintain interior comfort while reducing energy demand for cooling," said Zaha Hadid Architects.

Supported by the Misk Foundation, a non-profit founded by Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, Asaan will host exhibitions, workshops and events that aim to celebrate Saudi Arabia's cultural heritage.

Elsewhere in the museum will be conservation labs for restoring and preserving archaeological artefacts.

Drawing from the vernacular architecture, Asaan will be three storeys tall and contain three central courtyards designed to provide shaded space to the museum's education, arts and administrative areas.

"The three-storey design is defined by the scale and geometries of the old town, as well as the museum's traditional construction techniques and materials," said Zaha Hadid Architects.

"Centred around three shaded courtyards, a defining feature of the local Najdi architecture, these courtyards provide comfortable external spaces that shield visitors from climatic conditions."

Once it is complete, the museum hopes to engage local and global visitors with Saudi culture and heritage.

"Asaan's role extends beyond preserving and displaying artefacts; it seeks to inspire meaningful engagement through immersive experiences that connect past, present, and future generations, strengthening pride in Saudi identity and sharing our cultural legacy with the world," said Asaan CEO Khaled Al-Saqer.

Diriyah is considered to be the birthplace of Saudi Arabia. It was established in the 15th century by Prince Mani' bin Rabiah Al-Muraidi, the oldest recorded ancestor of the House of Saud, before becoming the first Saudi state in 1744.

The historic town is located on the outskirts of the Saudi capital, Riyadh, where construction on the world's largest building and stadiums for the controversial 2034 World Cup are underway.

Elsewhere in Diriyah, other projects informed by Najdi architecture have been unveiled, including a sports arena by architecture studio HKS and an opera house by architecture studio Snøhetta.

Other recent projects by Zaha Hadid Architects include designs for a cascading Skyscraper in Georgia and a 60,000-seat stadium in China, which is nearing completion.

The images are by Specto Digital.

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