The new Olaya Metro Station design is part of the country’s plan to redevelop Riyadh’s metro system. Gerber Architekten won the bid for the design in a 2012 competition. Inspired by the Arabian desert landscape, the architects created an undulating “minimalist dune” glass-enclosed structure that “establishes a dialogue between tradition and future.”
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The oasis-like building is topped with a large rooftop park planted with palm trees in a grid formation. The park will also accommodate numerous water features and gathering spaces. Below the undulating green roof is the large open-plan meeting area wrapped in floor-to-ceiling glass. Natural light floods the first floor and penetrates the underground levels that comprise a shopping mall, a multilevel car park, and two subway lines.
+ Gerber Architekten
