Riyadh Architecture City Guide: 16 Projects from Heritage to Urban Expansion

Once a Najdi settlement defined by mudbrick walls and courtyard houses, Riyadh has undergone one of the most radical urban transformations of the 20th and 21st centuries. The discovery of oil reserves, the consolidation of political power, and the rapid expansion of infrastructure reshaped the city from a regional capital into a sprawling metropolis almost within a single generation. As a result, Riyadh's urban fabric is marked by discontinuities, fragments of vernacular architecture coexist with mid-century institutional modernism, and a rapidly evolving contemporary skyline.

Shed for the Night Watchman / Eduardo Garretti studio

Strategically placed in the forest is a base made of stone native to the site. Emerging in a stereotomic manner, this solid block also comprises the foundation of the project.

"Each Constraint Becomes More of an Opportunity": In Conversation With Holcim Award Winner THINK TANK architecture

The Zando Central Market redevelopment in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, designed by THINK TANK architecture, has been selected among the 20 winning projects of the 2025 Holcim Foundation Awards in the Middle East and Africa region. Originally designed for 3,500 traders and now accommodating more than 20,000 vendors, the market has long operated under conditions of severe overcrowding and infrastructural strain. The project stands out for its large-scale public ambition, its reliance on locally available materials and skills, and its capacity to accommodate both formal and informal economies within a rapidly transforming urban context.

Vachnadziani Winery / Laboratory of Architecture #3

The building is located in the Alazani Valley, a centuries-old, traditional cradle of the region's winemaking, set against the backdrop of the Caucasus Mountain range and vineyards.

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