Culture Square Unveiled As Landmark Project To Enhance Jeddah's Cultural Heritage And Tourism

The Jeddah Historic District Program, led by the Ministry of Culture, has introduced "Culture Square," a significant initiative aimed at revitalising Historic Jeddah. This project focuses on creating specialised centres for various artistic and cultural fields. By offering engaging experiences, Culture Square seeks to enhance visitor experiences and elevate the district's status as a global tourist spot, aligning with Saudi Vision 2030.

Situated along Al-Arbaeen Lagoon's shores, Culture Square features the Performing Arts Center and the Digital Arts Museum "teamLab Borderless." The latter has been honoured with the Makkah Excellence Award for Cultural Excellence. This area serves as a bridge between history and modernity, evident in its design and purpose.

The Performing Arts Center is set to host diverse cultural activities such as theatrical shows, international festivals, film screenings, and sessions inspired by "Al-Markaz." It also includes restaurants and cafes that encourage social interaction. Meanwhile, the teamLab Borderless museum represents contemporary culture by integrating art, science, and technology.

Central to Culture Square is the restored Bait Amir Al Bahar. Positioned between the Performing Arts Center and teamLab Borderless museum, it overlooks Hamza Shehata Street. Named after a famous late Saudi poet, this house symbolises the area's cultural wealth. Its unique architectural style features large arched windows and historically functioned as a lighthouse guiding ships.

The Culture Square project embodies an architectural vision that seamlessly combines historic Jeddah's rich traditions with modern renewal. The design incorporates regional architectural heritage while maintaining the interconnected Hijazi urban fabric's identity. This aligns with teamLab Borderless museum's philosophy of harmony between visitors and artwork.

The building’s sloping roof merges with surrounding landscapes, reinforcing themes of integration with nature. Spanning approximately 26,000 square meters, Culture Square consists of two main structures: The Center for Performing Arts and Cinema covers 16,000 square meters and serves as the Red Sea Film Festival headquarters.

Facilities within Culture Square

This centre includes a grand entrance lobby, a main theatre with 868 seats, five cinema halls accommodating 564 seats collectively, a versatile internal lobby, nine dialogue halls, a cinematheque, a restaurant, and three cafes. The teamLab Borderless museum spans 10,000 square meters displaying around 80 interconnected works symbolising a boundary-less world.

This innovative space blends art with technology and nature to offer transformative cultural experiences enriching Saudi Arabia's cultural landscape. The Historic Jeddah Program prioritised public health and environmental sustainability in designing Culture Square.

Sustainability Initiatives

The project incorporates advanced air conditioning systems featuring complete air purification technology. It also includes touchless elevators and escalators equipped with ultraviolet sterilisation alongside water conservation systems recycling condensate water from cooling units for irrigation purposes.

These measures enhance resource efficiency while demonstrating commitment to environmental preservation. Launching Culture Square marks a significant milestone in restoring Historic Jeddah while preserving its tangible and intangible heritage.

With careful preservation of urban fabric combined with contemporary architecture blending heritage-inspired elements seamlessly into its design; this square stands out as both visually distinctive landmark within Jeddah’s cultural scene reflecting broader vision investing region’s history transforming them into economic tributaries establishing prominence on global tourism map.

With inputs from SPA