King Abdullah Financial District Metro Station

The undulating shape of Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) Metro Station – one of the iconic stations making up the Saudi capital’s new subway system – resembles desert dunes molded by the wind. Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) and inaugurated in December 2024, the station is infused with the same avant-garde spirit that fired and remains the legacy of its Iraqi-British founder and Pritzker Prize winner who passed away in 2016 – a legacy still clearly visible in two other recent projects by ZHA: the Aljada Central Hub in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, and the Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah, Qatar.

The stadium, which hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup, takes its inspiration from the dhow, the traditional Persian Gulf sailing boat. The façades and operable PTFE-membrane roof recall unfurled sails and upturned hulls, a tribute to the sea-faring history of Al Wakrah, once a small village peopled by fishermen and pearl divers. The stadium’s innovative solar-powered cooling system delivers chilled air directly under spectators’ seats and onto the playing field.

The same close connection to context is also evidenced in the Aljada Central Hub, the centerpiece of developer Arada’s real estate project in Sharjah. Designed as an entertainment, cultural, and leisure hub for residents and visitors of all ages, the overall master plan – also by ZHA – includes squares and gardens planted with native species. Execution will take place in three phases. The first sector – a community center, open-air cinema, food truck village, skate park, and other spaces, also curated by ZHA – has already been completed. Designed to re-enact the moment when the first drop of water fell to Earth, the project comprises a series of elliptical buildings that channel prevailing winds into public spaces and courtyards, setting up natural ventilation.

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