{"id":619904,"date":"2026-06-04T01:33:30","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T01:33:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/619904\/"},"modified":"2026-06-04T01:33:30","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T01:33:30","slug":"diriyah-biennale-foundation-announces-four-studios-shortlisted-for-the-2027-almusalla-prize","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/619904\/","title":{"rendered":"Diriyah Biennale Foundation Announces Four Studios Shortlisted for the 2027 AlMusalla Prize"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Diriyah<\/a>AlMusalla Prize 2027 – Group portrait, from left to right_ Jessam Al-Jawad (Al-Jawad Pike), Zeina Koreitem (MILLI\u00d8NS), Meriem Chabani (New South), Ali Ismail Karimi (Civil Architecture). Image Courtesy of Diriyah Biennale Foundation<\/p>\n

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https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1042152\/diriyah-biennale-foundation-announces-four-studios-shortlisted-for-the-2027-almusalla-prize<\/p>\n

The Diriyah Biennale Foundation<\/a> has revealed the four architecture studios shortlisted for the 2027 AlMusalla Prize, an international competition that commissions the design of a musalla<\/a>, a space for prayer and contemplation, for the third edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale<\/a>. Opening on November 1, 2027, at the Western Hajj Terminal in Jeddah<\/a>, Saudi Arabia<\/a>, the Biennale will feature a new prayer structure designed by one of the shortlisted teams: Al-Jawad Pike<\/a> (United Kingdom), Civil Architecture<\/a> (Bahrain\/Kuwait), MILLI\u00d8NS<\/a> (United States), or NEW SOUTH<\/a> (France). The winning proposal will be announced in March 2027 and realized as part of the exhibition before being permanently relocated to JAX District<\/a> in Diriyah<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Diriyah<\/a>\"Diriyah<\/a>\"Diriyah<\/a>\"Diriyah<\/a>\"Diriyah+ 7<\/a><\/p>\n

\"DiriyahIslamic Arts Biennale 2025. Image \u00a9 Marco Cappelletti, courtesy of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation<\/a><\/p>\n

Launched in 2024<\/a>, the AlMusalla Prize was established to explore contemporary interpretations of spaces of worship through architecture. Organized by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation<\/a>, the initiative invites architects to design a musalla that responds to both spiritual and social functions while engaging with questions of adaptability, material innovation, and environmental performance. Since its inception, the prize has positioned itself as a platform for architectural experimentation within the broader context of Islamic art and culture.<\/p>\n

For the 2027 edition, competitors were asked to develop a single architectural intervention capable of operating in two distinct locations. The musalla will initially be constructed at the Western Hajj Terminal at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah<\/a>, a landmark designed by SOM<\/a> and recipient of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture<\/a>. Following the four-month duration of the Biennale, the structure will be dismantled and reassembled at JAX District<\/a>, an industrial heritage site in Diriyah<\/a> that has been transformed into a hub for cultural production and creative practices.<\/p>\n

Related Article From Saudi Arabia to Uzbekistan: AlMusalla Pavilion Reinstalled for the Inaugural Bukhara Biennial 2025<\/a> \"DiriyahThe Western Hajj Terminal of King Abdulaziz International Airport. Image Courtesy of Diriyah Biennale Foundation<\/a><\/p>\n

The competition brief required participants to address the differing spatial and environmental conditions of both sites. In Jeddah<\/a>, the prayer space will occupy an expansive open area beneath the terminal’s iconic tensile roof structures, while its permanent setting in Diriyah<\/a> will place it within a denser urban environment characterized by former industrial warehouses. The challenge called for a design capable of establishing a coherent architectural identity across these contrasting contexts while maintaining the functional requirements of a contemporary prayer space.<\/p>\n

The four shortlisted practices represent a range of geographic and disciplinary perspectives. Founded in London<\/a> in 2014, Al-Jawad Pike<\/a> is known for its research-led approach and emphasis on material expression and atmosphere. Civil Architecture<\/a>, based in Bahrain<\/a> and Kuwait<\/a>, explores the relationship between architecture, civic life, and contemporary conditions in Southwest Asia through both built work and publications. Los Angeles<\/a>-based MILLI\u00d8NS<\/a> operates across architecture, exhibitions, furniture, and research, often developing projects informed by historical, cultural, and geographic investigations. NEW SOUTH<\/a>, led by architect Meriem Chabani and architect-anthropologist John Edom, combines architecture, urbanism, and anthropology in projects that engage questions of heritage, migration, and collective identity.<\/p>\n

\"DiriyahView of JAX District from Wadi Hanifah. Image Courtesy of Diriyah Biennale Foundation<\/a><\/p>\n

The shortlisted teams will now advance to the final stage of evaluation, overseen by a jury chaired by Prince Nawaf bin Ayyaf, Chief Executive Officer of Saudi Arabia’s Architecture<\/a> and Design Commission. The jury is expected to include specialists in architectural practice, history, sustainability, and Islamic architecture<\/a>. Proposals will be assessed according to their architectural quality, responsiveness to the competition brief, and ability to create a meaningful environment for prayer and contemplation. Once inaugurated alongside the third Islamic Arts Biennale<\/a> in November 2027, the structure will continue its life in Diriyah<\/a>, where it is intended to serve as a lasting architectural contribution to JAX District<\/a> and the city’s evolving cultural landscape.<\/p>\n

In other recent architecture news, several international competitions and institutional projects have announced new selections and winning teams. The Pan-African Biennale (PAB) has revealed the participants for its inaugural edition, scheduled for September 7\u201311, 2026, at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi<\/a>. In Panama, following an international competition launched in January 2026, the Museum of Contemporary Art of Panama (MAC Panam\u00e1) selected Palma + Taller TO to design its new building.<\/a> In France, the Ministry of Culture announced the winning team for the “Louvre\u2013Nouvelle Renaissance” renovation of the Mus\u00e9e du Louvre, led by STUDIOS Architecture, Selldorf Architects, and BASE Paysagiste.<\/a><\/p>\n