Photos: Allan Toft/Martin Professional
With the illumination sources largely hidden from view, multi-tonal surfaces appear as if lit by flickering torch light.
While many museums offer a glimpse into the past, there is different atmosphere when one stands among history. Founded in the 15th century, At-Turaif District in Ad-Diriyah was the first capital of the Saudi Dynasty and was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010. It is home to numerous palaces and is an example of Najdi architectural style, which adopts the use of local materials such as mud and straw and features Islamic art-inspired geometric designs. Known as the “birthplace of Saudi Arabia,” At-Turaif’s remains stand as a location of significant cultural importance.
“The site and surrounding area are currently being developed by the Diriyah Company as a premier gathering place that offers an immersive Najdi experience for locals and tourists alike,” explained Keith Bradshaw, senior partner and chief executive officer at Speirs Major Light Architecture (SMLA). “In its raised position, the site is the major focal point in the landscape when viewed from the residences and leisure facilities of the Diriyah Project across Wadi Hanifah, so creating an after-dark image and identity that befit the cultural significance of the site was crucial. But at its heart, the brief was about shaping a magical, emotional experience of this profoundly spiritual place after dark, when the temperature is more conducive to exploration.”
The lighting supports an immersive experience while creating a visual identity from mid and distant viewpoints.
Prior to SMLA’s involvement, only a small area of At-Turaif had been illuminated, and that lighting was replaced as part of a holistic redesign for the entire site. A “thought piece” was created for the project, which focused on the way that light could amplify the story of the site and bring this remnant of a historic civilization back to life.
Doing so involved using light to capture and reveal the spirit of what was there, connecting people, place, and architecture across time to create a sense of At-Turaif as it was—a real city with inhabitants. To amplify the sensation of stepping into another time and place, it was important to remove 21st century influence as much as possible, so SMLA animated the subtle tonal variations in At-Turaif’s natural materials to make them feel as if lit by flickering lantern light. To create the illusion that the light is coming from the buildings and the walls themselves, luminaires were concealed at ground level. The resulting effect feels like the city is glowing from the bottom up.
Having identified the surfaces, façades, streets, and courtyards that shape the site’s most important views and experiences, SMLA modeled and tested lit effects in 3-D with an eye on delivering a memorable visual identity from a distance as well as a seamless authentic experience inside the site. Working with a palette of differing light intensities, a nuanced tapestry of layers and zones were developed and choreographed to better immerse visitors in an authentic space that feels as it did 500 years ago.
“The rough materiality of the handmade, mudbrick walls that shape the city contributes a great deal to the ambience,” said Bradshaw. “We were enchanted by this very particular, almost-sand putty material with a very fine grain texture that made up these beautiful freeform structures. We noticed that when the sunset caught the walls, they really resonated in the warm light. That set us on the path of hunting for the exact shade of artificial light that would allow the mudbrick to glow in that same, beautiful, natural, and appropriate way. We tested and experimented extensively and conducted a large-scale mock-up, eventually finding the perfect combination at the edge of a monochrome light that creates an intense rose-gold glow. There is some flexibility for celebratory color change for important civic events, and the site experiences a monthly activation of blue light to the exterior at the new moon—reflecting the lunar calendar’s importance in the Muslim faith.”
The design derives inspiration from the natural color and textural qualities of the building fabric.
At-Turaif being a district, and not a single structure, presented challenges in many regards. The site’s cultural and historical significance, as well as its tourism value, required SMLA to navigate a wide range of expectations and gain approval from multiple stakeholders, including the client, UNESCO, and Saudi Arabia’s Ministry for Culture and Heritage. The site was frequently unavailable due to visiting VIPs, which affected both logistics and planning.
Crafting a nuanced three-dimensional experience and lit image for what is essentially a small city was a significant task, according to Bradshaw. “We facilitated our holistic approach to the design by using advanced 3-D modeling and rendering technology. Using a full drone scan of the site, we developed a workflow based on Hollywood CGI techniques. Within the 3-D model, we accurately created and tested lit effects from different viewpoints, generating exceptionally realistic renders, which were helpful in demonstrating our ideas… prior to completing a large-scale mock-up.”
The region’s desert climate also presented significant hurdles. At-Turaif, which is located northwest of the capital of Riyadh, experiences sweltering summer heat as well as flooding, which typically occurs from October to May. As a result, SMLA opted for luminaries from Martin Professional that could withstand 110-deg Fahrenheit temperatures and included fully drainable, double casements to withstand flash flooding.
Photo: SMLA
The 3-D, CGI visualization process for At-Turaif, showing the texture rendering and overlapping lighting model over the 3-D scanned model.
“To avoid damage to the delicate mud-brick construction, lighting equipment is not fixed to any structure but secured on semi-recessed concrete ground footings surrounded by gravel that acts as drainage, protected from water and shielded from view,” noted Adrien Flouraud, design associate at SMLA. “The shields are unobtrusive and carefully color-matched to the building fabric, so they blend into the background. We also took care to remove existing cabling and conceal new cabling to preserve the immersive nature of the experience.”
The control network design was also complicated due to the size and phased nature of the design; the total area for all stages of the project is approximately 958,000 sq ft. The controls were provided by Pharos, and to manage the number of addressable points—approximately 30,000 DMX addresses running just under 3,000 RGBW fixtures—as well as the heritage restrictions on cabling installation, SMLA developed a distributed system and an interface that allows for the adjustment of individual effects at the level of nuance required. Sustainability was also a consideration; the site features a balance of light and darkness to tell At-Turiaf’s story with minimal energy use while employing precision distribution and control to preserve dark skies.
“Visiting the site a night has become incredibly popular as an attraction, and reviews on tourism websites and posts on social media specifically mention the beauty of the lighting,” Bradshaw said. “However, we are most proud of the response from the locals, who have conveyed that to them, our design perfectly captures the special spirit of the site, gifting them an experience that reinforces and enhances their emotional connection to this extraordinary site.”
THE DESIGNER | Keith Bradshaw is senior partner and chief executive officer of Speirs Major Light Architecture.
Adrien Flouraud is a design associate at Speirs Major Light Architecture.
Iain Ruxton is an associate partner at Speirs Major Light Architecture.
James Fuentes McGreevy is a design associate at Speirs Major Light Architecture.
Tom Hartshorne is a lead visualizer at Speirs Major Light Architecture.
Martin Firera Alessandri is a 3-D design lead at Speirs Major Light Architecture.
Clementine Fletcher-Smith is a partner at Speirs Major Light Architecture.