LEADING global architecture and design firm Perkins+Will has been selected to design a new five-star hotel in the Diplomatic Quarter in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The low-rise four-storey structure, which is due for completion in 2016, is inspired by the beauty of the country’s wadis and oases.

The hotel design will echo a variety of local influences including the natural environment and Saudi culture.

“We are thrilled to have been selected for this high profile project which highlights our growing capability in the region for hospitality projects,” said Steve Charlton, managing director for Perkins+Will Dubai office.

“The 40,000-sq-m project is clad in a unique façade that reflects the local landscape of the region. The façade provides an opportunity for us to take advantage of the layered exterior by creating internal spaces that are lit with filtered natural sunlight creating grand, open yet welcoming spaces,” said Ben Piper, Dubai-based director of architectural design for Perkins+Will.

The flow of the project emulates qualities of the Saudi landscape. The centre of the hotel is designed as an oasis-like sanctuary that creates a natural microclimate. The exterior façade is made up of layered strata that reflects the geology of the region and provides solar shading and improved privacy.

Gentle ribbon-like curves in hues reminiscent of the desert environment are blended and created in bands of colour-tinted render, timber and stainless steel forming a microclimate of shaded spaces that allow the hotel to extend its activities into the external landscape.

The project comes as part of Saudi Hotel and Resorts Company’s (Sharaco) growing commitment to deliver high-end and unique building projects in the region.