Islamic Arts Biennale (IAB)
Cultural experience strategy and spatial narrative design for the first global Islamic arts biennale.
Project Info
Client: Diriyah Biennale Foundation + OMA
Location: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Year: 2024 - 2025
Scale: Cultural exhibition campus & public realm
Role: Spatial Strategy & Experience Design Lead
Scope: Visitor journey mapping, spatial sequencing, wayfinding strategy, experiential narrative, identity integration
Primary courtyard space establishing a calm arrival sequence and spatial clarity for visitor orientation.
Integrated shading structures and column-mounted directional signage creating intuitive navigation through the Biennale grounds.
Integrated shading structures and column-mounted directional signage creating intuitive navigation through the Biennale grounds.
Column-mounted directional signs leveraging rhythm, repetition, and structural positioning to guide movement across the Biennale grounds.
Corner-mounted directional signs embedded within architectural edges, aligned with human eye horizon to reinforce intuitive wayfinding through spatial experience.
Project Overview
A temporary cultural campus hosting the Islamic Arts Biennale required a coherent spatial identity and navigation system to guide visitors across multiple pavilions and outdoor courtyards. The project balanced architectural minimalism with cultural expression to create legible movement and a unified visitor experience.
• Temporary district-wide wayfinding strategy
• Unified identity across pavilions and open spaces
• Visitor experience structured from arrival to discovery
Spatial Strategy
A modular navigation framework was developed to organize circulation across shaded courtyards, exhibition halls, and gathering spaces. Signage elements were integrated into architectural columns, banners, and landscape cues to maintain clarity without visual clutter.
• Primary and secondary pedestrian paths defined
• Arrival, threshold, and node hierarchy established
• Signage embedded into architectural rhythm
Design Integration
Material, proportion, and typography were aligned with the pavilion architecture to ensure seamless integration. A restrained palette and bilingual graphic system reinforced identity while respecting the exhibition setting.
• Column-mounted rings and banners as key identifiers
• Bilingual Arabic–English graphic system
• Scalable modular signage family
Outcome
The resulting system delivered intuitive navigation and a consistent visual language across a large temporary venue, enhancing visitor orientation while preserving architectural calm.
• Clear visitor flow across the campus
• Strong identity for a temporary environment
• Adaptable system for future editionsy