The Jeddah Corniche is a 30 km waterfront resort area in the city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Located along the Red Sea coast, the Corniche features recreation areas, pavilions and civic sculptures as well as King Fahd's Fountain, the tallest fountain in the world. The site for Mandarin Oriental Jeddah, a monumental, 5+ star hotel, enjoys a unique view of the Red Sea and a walkway connection to the Corniche edge, backing up to a low-height residential area.
Design Phase 1: Competition Winning Concept
The first stage of design took place as part of an international competition which LEO A DALY won. This initial concept took inspiration from Jeddah’s significance as a common waypoint on the pilgrimage to and the journey back home from Makkah.
Situated between two legs of a journey commonly completed by pilgrims of the Muslim faith today, the hotel straddles between the history and modern culture of Saudi Arabia.
Drawing from this crossroads motif, the hotel features two perpendicular wings forming the central axis of the building.
“Our approach from the onset of this competition was to craft a monumental luxury destination hotel worthy of the auspicious Mandarin Oriental flag, while taking cues from the region, context and culture. A deep dive into the shared history of LEO A DALY and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia drove our understanding of who travels there and why they make this journey.” Ryan Martin, AIA, Director of Design
Design Phase 2: New Massing and Façade Explorations
Changing zoning requirements drove the design team to explore revisions to the hotel's massing and façade. Drawing on the hotel’s signature position along the Corniche, this second phase of design focuses on creating a strong brand identity through a sculptural form that harmonizes with the city of Jeddah’s master plan and vision, offering a meaningful addition to the Corniche skyline.
Three unique design concepts were developed, each based on the climate and geology of the Corniche, where desert sand meets moisture from the Red Sea. The following three façade iterations explore natural geometry, using modern materials in combination with traditional Middle Eastern shading strategies to achieve a nature-derived play of light and shadow and evoke the dynamic motion of the landscape. The result is a contextually relevant and powerful interpretation of the forces of nature.
Envelope Option 1: Motion
Option 2: Horizontal Motion Along the Corniche Edge
Option 3: Weave
Option 3: Weave (A and B) explores two distinct interpretations of the mashrabiya patterns that appear throughout the region as a shading device. Randomized patterns were produced using generative design tool Rhino, providing a range of densities of shading. The screens are arranged on the façade in bands with varying degrees of density, creating a dynamic sense of motion that evokes the evolving edges of sand dunes.
