{"id":414240,"date":"2026-02-08T07:41:23","date_gmt":"2026-02-08T07:41:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/414240\/"},"modified":"2026-02-08T07:41:23","modified_gmt":"2026-02-08T07:41:23","slug":"open-courtyard-organizes-cafe-carved-into-rock-in-saudi-arabia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/414240\/","title":{"rendered":"open courtyard organizes caf\u00e9 carved into rock in saudi arabia"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>movs studio sculpts caf\u00e9 in Ha\u2019il\u2019s rocky landscape<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Peacock Ha\u2019il is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/restaurant-interiors\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">caf\u00e9<\/a> project by Movs Studio located in Ha\u2019il, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/architecture-in-saudi-arabia\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Saudi Arabia<\/a>, within an evolving urban context shaped by new construction and prominent geological formations. The site originally consisted of an unfinished <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/concrete-architecture-and-design\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">concrete<\/a> structure positioned directly beside a tall <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/marble-and-stone-design\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">rock<\/a> formation, which became a defining condition for the project and a central design constraint.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Rather than treating the rock as a backdrop or decorative feature, the design integrates it into the architectural logic of the caf\u00e9. Part of the rock was carefully removed during construction to create a small interior <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/private-courtyards\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">courtyard<\/a> planted with trees. This intervention required close coordination between structural requirements and design intent, ensuring that the natural formation remained integral to the spatial organization rather than a superficial focal point.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The courtyard functions as the core of the project. Large panoramic openings establish visual continuity between the interior and the rock, allowing daylight to penetrate deep into the caf\u00e9 and softening the boundary between enclosed and open spaces. The spatial arrangement is organized around this central void, reinforcing a sense of orientation and calm within the interior.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1176506 size-full lazyload\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"open planted courtyard organizes a caf\u00e9 carved directly into rock in saudi arabia\" width=\"818\" height=\"615\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/peacock-hail-cafe-movs-studio-saudi-arabia-designboom-818-1.jpg\"  data- loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>all images by <a href=\"https:\/\/photoivanov.com\/bw_gallery\/home-page-gallery-41\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Ilya Ivanov<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Extracted stones are reused in Peacock Hail caf\u00e9\u2019s interior<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Material continuity between architecture and landscape is further reinforced through the reuse of stones extracted during the rock excavation. Selected pieces were refined by polishing their horizontal surfaces and were reintroduced as sculptural elements that also function as standing-height tables. These elements operate at the intersection of furniture and architecture, extending the presence of the site\u2019s geology into the interior environment.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For the interior design, <a href=\"https:\/\/movs.studio\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">architects<\/a> at Movs Studio avoid excessive ornamentation and complex bespoke detailing. Furniture was designed with a utilitarian approach and fabricated by local artisans, reflecting available production methods and prioritizing clarity, durability, and ergonomic performance. This strategy supports consistency across the interior while reinforcing a sense of material honesty.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The material palette combines exposed ceilings and visible mechanical systems with smooth gray plaster walls, dark-stained wood, polished concrete floors accented with brass inlays, and deep burgundy finishes in upholstery and bar-area tiles. These materials are applied in a restrained manner, emphasizing texture, construction logic, and contrast rather than surface decoration.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"open planted courtyard organizes a caf\u00e9 carved directly into rock in saudi arabia\" width=\"817\" height=\"1224\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/peacock-hail-cafe-by-movs-studio-carved-into-rock-and-concrete-in-saudi-arabia-9-698331dd90a90.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" lazyload\"\/><br \/>Peacock Ha\u2019il by movs studio is located in Ha\u2019il, Saudi Arabia<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Through the integration of natural rock, controlled material selection, and handcrafted elements, Peacock Ha\u2019il establishes an interior defined by spatial clarity and contextual responsiveness. The project demonstrates how architectural restraint and site-specific interventions can shape a contemporary caf\u00e9 environment grounded in local material conditions and human scale.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"open planted courtyard organizes a caf\u00e9 carved directly into rock in saudi arabia\" width=\"814\" height=\"1220\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/peacock-hail-cafe-by-movs-studio-carved-into-rock-and-concrete-in-saudi-arabia-1-698331dd9087e.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" lazyload\"\/><br \/>the caf\u00e9 occupies a site defined by an unfinished concrete structure and a tall rock formation<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"open planted courtyard organizes a caf\u00e9 carved directly into rock in saudi arabia\" width=\"820\" height=\"1230\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/peacock-hail-cafe-by-movs-studio-carved-into-rock-and-concrete-in-saudi-arabia-2-698331dd908ee.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" lazyload\"\/><br \/>the existing rock became a central architectural constraint and design driver<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"open planted courtyard organizes a caf\u00e9 carved directly into rock in saudi arabia\" width=\"815\" height=\"1223\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/peacock-hail-cafe-by-movs-studio-carved-into-rock-and-concrete-in-saudi-arabia-8-698331dd90a5d.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" lazyload\"\/><br \/>the project integrates the rock into the spatial logic rather than treating it as decoration<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"movs studio sculpts caf\u00e9 in Ha\u2019il\u2019s rocky landscape \u00a0 Peacock Ha\u2019il is a caf\u00e9 project by Movs Studio&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":414241,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[102981,6225,6485,6486,20320,1120,96,12738,36632,6689,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-414240","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-art-and-architecture-in-saudi-arabia","9":"tag-arts","10":"tag-arts-and-design","11":"tag-artsanddesign","12":"tag-concrete-architecture-and-design","13":"tag-design","14":"tag-entertainment","15":"tag-marble-and-stone-design","16":"tag-private-courtyards","17":"tag-restaurant-and-cafe-design","18":"tag-uk","19":"tag-united-kingdom","20":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/414240","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=414240"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/414240\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/414241"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=414240"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=414240"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=414240"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}