Project Description

A golden dome, which houses in its interior the most exuberant oases of the Riyadh desert, inside are two luxurious villas, surrounded by abundant vegetation, ecosystems, places of rest and nature. These villas are in perfect harmony with the plant species that grow around them. Courtyards illuminated by artificial suns appear, perforations in the roof that allow light to enter and the trees to leave, large windows, floating garages, communities of animals that cohabit the space, etc. Two separate residences but that share an eventual landscape.

The main objective of Riyadh's golden dome is to be present in the environment with its own shape and materiality, it is a jewel, which denies the adversities of the desert through its own architecture and with the help of the technological devices located on the roof, recreating in its interior different phenomenological scenarios; monsoon rains, paradisiacal sunsets, northern lights, foggy sunrises, etc.

A hypertechnified roof, full of different devices that allow the creation of different ecosystems, and the recreation of phenomenological scenarios.

This surface, on the outside, is made up of a gold-plated metal sheet with a series of kinetic panels on its surface whose purpose is to protect and reduce the incidence of wind and the accumulation of sand from sand storms.

Inside are all the devices that will generate the specific interior conditions. A matrix-like irrigation system emerges between the perforations, integrated into the thickness of the roof itself and together with a series of mobile artificial suns.

 In a similar way, odor, seed and mist dispersers, speakers, a giant led matrix, fans, etc. appear.

The two villas emerge as independent elements but are connected to each other by an interior perimeter ring and share a high-rise landscape. They are projected preserving the privacy of users at all times, generating different accesses and denying views to adjoining private spaces, through the appearance of walls or vegetation that blocks visibility.

Villa A is constructed around a large oasis which gives live to the house. The main house is based on the north to have more privacy from villa B and the outside. The main living room is situated so we can crate a double opening allowing the oasis to enter the house from one side and the swimming pool courtyard from the other. The secondary home which is mainly on the south part is composed of two floors having the public areas on the bottom floor and on the top floor having only the rooms with privaye balconies. On the south east corner we place the staff appartments with a maintance store area that allows them to serve the garden without disturbing the main area of the house.

Villa B generates a ground floor where most of the most public program is located, on the outside are the spaces intended to welcome guests while inside are the most private and gathering areas, oasis and server spaces. On the first floor are the bedrooms and dressing rooms.

The workers' residence is located at one end, it has basement access to the service kitchens and other service rooms.

Collaborator: Sebastian Olazabal