Mesura
Al-Ula in Saudi Arabia is a site that plays a key role in the country's grand cultural aspirations. The city will be home to the Arabian Peninsula's first new branch of Centre Pompidou. The strategy for the region's cultural development doesn't stop there: the next step is the realization of the Music Hub recording studio designed by Spanish studio Mesura.
The building will blend smoothly into the desert landscape
Secondary Bounce | © Mesura
Abbey Road, Electric Lady... Music Hub?
When we think of the look of a recording studio, we imagine a tightly isolated building equipped with state-of-the-art technology. Time and space are left behind its doors, allowing you to completely cut yourself off from the outside world and, consequently, finalize your music work on time. The location of the most famous recording studios, such as Abbey Road in London's Westminster district or Electric Lady in Greenwich Village, New York, are good examples of how these spaces are usually also located in the center of bustling metropolises. But what happens when the natural environment around the studio is so stunning that it cannot be forgotten? Can the landscape become an active part of music production? These considerations, together with intensive research into music studio innovations, were the reason for designing a structure in harmony with the desert.
Visualization of the interior of the recording studio
Secondary Bounce | © Mesura
al-Ula, Saudi Arabia's signature heritage site
Al-Ula is located in the Saudi province of Medina. The oasis city was an important haven for merchants following the ancient fragrant route leading from the Levant to India. 20 kilometers to the north is Hegra, whose archaeological uniqueness led it to the UNESCO World Heritage List. The distinctive landscape composed of Nabataean hollowed-out rocks, sand dunes and vast deserts make it an unforgettable place. Al-Ula deserves the attention that its sister city, Petra, enjoys. The {tag:pracownie} project aims to enhance, highlight and preserve the cultural significance of the region.
Rocks in the desert near al-Ula in Medina province
© Mesura
The plot of land designated for the project is located in the north of the province near ancient monuments. The music studio will be located in an intimate neighborhood of the hotel, behind an already existing pavilion, creating an independent space in which to indulge in experimental ways of working on music. Central to the design of the architecture within al-Ula is respect for the cultural uniqueness of the region. Building here means interfering as little as possible with the landscape.
Music Hub by Mesura
The Music Hub is intended to help break down barriers between musicians, sound engineers and producers and promote new ways of working. The intimate environment is designed to create a relaxed and creative atmosphere, blurring the boundaries between different working areas and nurturing a sense of team unity. This vision was strategically located in the middle of a canyon and hidden away from the hotel complexes. Here, music studio users will be able to take full inspiration from the unobstructed views of the desert. Mesura studio architects took advantage of the natural slope of the site to blend the building into the landscape without altering the existing topography. Consequently, different heights were introduced into the space. The flat roof, which resembles a protective shell, adapts to these height requirements. The building material designated for the roof structure and columns at the entrance is rammed earth. The skeleton of the building will be erected from birch wood, which has very good acoustic properties.
Music studio like a tent in the desert
The spatial layout on a circular plan refers to traditional Bedouin tents. It divides the studio into four areas that correspond to different stages of the creative process: the main studio, two smaller recording rooms and the lobby. Each interior is different, as is the view that unfolds from it, adding complexity and dynamism to Mesura's design. Lightweight, adjustable curtains hang from the edge of the roof, creating a nomadic atmosphere for the terraces outside the studio.
One of the building materials used in the construction will be rammed earth
Secondary Bounce | © Mesura
Ania Kociucka
[based on the author's description of the studio].
