![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/20040715_watertowernight_soleil02_1.jpg\")
The concept structure : a bioclimatic fa\u00e7ade that interacts with air, light, sound and humidity. (Supplied)<\/p>\n
\n\tRIYADH: In the heart of Al-Watan Park, in the historic district of Al-Futah, stands a familiar yet overlooked silhouette: the Burj Al Khazzan. This 61-meter-tall water tower, built in the 1970s by Swedish architect Sune Lindstrom, long served a crucial role: storing water for a rapidly growing capital.<\/p>\n
\n\tToday, as Riyadh redefines its urban identity under Vision 2030 and the Green Riyadh initiative, the Burj may soon begin a new life \u2014 cultural, ecological, symbolic.<\/p>\n
\n\tStill at the conceptual stage, the transformation project was envisioned by Stella Amae, a Franco-Japanese architecture firm based in Paris and Barcelona, after a consultation launched by the Public Investment Fund.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cThe Burj is a unique object. It speaks of heritage, of water, of collective memory. We want to make it a living landmark, a Tree of Life,\u201d said Alexandre Stella, co-founder of Stella Amae.<\/p>\n
The concept structure : a bioclimatic fa\u00e7ade that interacts with air, light, sound and humidity. (Supplied)<\/p>\n
\n\tThe design draws inspiration from the trunk of the date palm \u2014 a regional symbol \u2014 and the triangular patterns of Najdi architecture. The structure would become a bioclimatic facade, interacting with air, light, sound, and humidity to create a true sensorial ecosystem.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cWe envisioned a living skin, one that breathes. It would capture the sounds of the city, diffuse soft light, include bird nesting boxes \u2026 This would not be a frozen monument, but a living urban organism,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\n\tMore than an architectural gesture, the project aims to meet a social need: to create a space for gathering, contemplation, and transmission \u2014 in a district already rich in cultural institutions.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\tFASTFACT\n<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\tThe proposed structure includes<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tA public space at the base of the tower combining cultural and commercial activities<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tA rooftop designed to host events and offer breathtaking views over the park<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSubtle lighting of the structure, activated during celebrations and special occasions<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cThe neighbourhood lacks a central point, a gathering space. The water tower could become that symbolic core,\u201d Stella said.<\/p>\n
\n\tA sustainable, reversible, and experimental architecture<\/p>\n
\n\tThe project follows a sustainable and experiential design approach, with particular attention to environmental impact and long-term viability.<\/p>\n
\n\tOne of its key technical features is the use of ultra-high performance fiber concrete \u2014 a cutting-edge French engineering innovation that ensures structural strength and durability over time.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/water_tower_pov_3_v1_copie_1_1.jpg\")
The design is inspired by the trunk of the date palm and the triangular motifs of Najdi architecture. (Supplied)<\/p>\n
\n\tAnother central principle is reversibility. The bioclimatic facade is designed as a lightweight, removable structure, non-invasive to the original building \u2014 allowing full restoration of the water tower if needed, in a spirit of heritage preservation and architectural temporality.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe project involves international creative talent, including Studio Jouan for sound design and BOA Light Studio for lighting. No local partners have been involved yet, because the project is still in the exploratory phase.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe targeted potential delivery date is 2030 \u2014 echoing the broader transformation milestones of the Saudi capital.<\/p>\n
\n\tWhile the project is at a design phase, Stella Amae is currently working on an archaeology research center and museum in Al-Sufouh, Dubai, with X-Architects.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01_1_1_1.jpg\")
Concept overview: a lively public space at the base of the tower, an event rooftop overlooking the park, and discreet lighting activated for special occasions. (Supplied)<\/p>\n
\n\tThe firm has also contributed to several major projects in the Middle East, including a residential project at Diriyah Gate 2 with AS.Architecture Studio in Paris and the Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Grand Mosque in Diriyah, in collaboration with X-Architects from Dubai.<\/p>\n
\n\tHowever, the potential Burj Al-Khazzan project holds a unique place in their approach: \u201cIt raises questions about urban heritage, water, memory \u2026 It is not just an architectural object. It is a piece of the city, a piece of history that we want to turn into the future,\u201d Stella said.<\/p>\n
\n\tTurning a former water tower into a Tree of Life is a powerful metaphor for a city seeking to grow a new kind of urbanism \u2014 one that honors its past and looks toward a more sustainable future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"RIYADH: In the heart of Al-Watan Park, in the historic district of Al-Futah, stands a familiar yet overlooked…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":91068,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[437,434,435,436,438,146,85,46],"class_list":["post-91067","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-artsdesign","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-il","tag-israel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91067","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91067"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91067\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91068"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91067"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91067"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91067"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}