Wadi AlFann
James Turrell’s monumental land artwork in AlUla. We translated sketches into a masterplan of skyspaces and tunnels, framing celestial light within the desert landscape.
In AlUla’s desert, James Turrell conceives a monumental land artwork: skyspaces, tunnels, and chambers carved into sandstone mountains, framing celestial light phenomena across Wadi AlFann, the Valley of Arts.
Inspired by Roden Crater, the project captures sun and moon alignments during the winter solstice.
Sculpted pathways and hidden rooms transform sandstone into immersive observatories, merging geology, light, and human perception in timeless experience.
We collaborated closely with the artist, translating sketches into a masterplan.
Complex modelling integrated cut-and-fill strategies, pathways, and encased chambers, embedding Turrell’s vision into the terrain with architectural precision and environmental sensitivity.
Design required balancing technical feasibility with landscape preservation, ensuring artistic ambition respected fragile desert ecosystems.
The composition extends across six thousand square meters, unfolding through chambers, skyspaces, tunnels, and openings cut within AlUla’s sandstone mountains.
Visitors progress along carefully orchestrated pathways, where sunlight and moonlight sequences guide perception, shaping contemplative experiences across shifting moments.
Architecture and landscape merge seamlessly, situating the human body within cosmic cycles, uniting material permanence with ephemeral rhythms.
Now at RIBA Stage 5 the project is among Saudi Arabia’s most ambitious cultural commissions, blending art, architecture, and landscape into an enduring monument of light.
Exhibition presenting Turrell’s land artwork.
Designed from concept till implemenation, 150 sqm two gallery spaces in AlJadidah and Madrasat, opened January 2025, staging studies, renders, and renowned light artworks.
We curated immersive sequences, integrated drawings, light installations, renders, and calibrated luminance to translate desert phenomenology for visitors.
