NEOM, saudi arabia's future gigacity, unveils new plans at venice biennale exhibition

NEOM Shares its Vision for the Future of Cities in Venice Exhibition

From May 20 to September 24, 2023, NEOM, Saudi Arabia’s futuristic gigacity, will showcase the exhibition titled ‘Zero Gravity Urbanism – Principles for a New Livability’ in Venice. Curated by Ramon Prat, this exhibition presents groundbreaking proposals from renowned architects like Morphosis, Sir Peter Cook, UNStudio, Fuksas, Oyler Wu, DMAA, and Adjaye Associates, highlighting their contributions to THE LINE and the urban revolution it represents.

This exhibition aims to tackle global environmental and social challenges while emphasizing the importance of striking a harmonious balance between nature conservation, livability, and sustainable human progress. In addition to the display, the event features a series of engaging talks and presentations from distinguished architects, academics, and urban thinkers from across the globe, including Sir Peter Cook, Jean Nouvel, Kent Larson & Eui-Sung Yi, Indy Johar, Hanif Kara & Willy Muller, Massimiliano Fuksas & Doriana Mandrelli Fuksas, Mark Lutter, Edward Glaeser & Benjamin Bratton.

Zero Gravity Urbanism – NEOM’s first international exhibition in Venice | image courtesy of Iwan Baan

ABOUT NEOM

NEOM is characterized as a global community of free-thinkers, dedicated to addressing the word’s most pressing challenges and creating a future unhindered by legacy. It is a special economic zone supporting innovation across multiple forward-looking sectors. This work will create a thriving and diversified local economy while providing a global hub for research and development.  At its core, NEOM is based on technology, nature, community, sustainability, and livability. As part of the its ambitious development, NEOM also integrates THE LINE, a 170-kilometer car-free linear city described as ‘a revolution in urban living’. 

‘You don’t need to be quick anymore, you can stay and it all comes to you, all the information… we (have all) we need in onr moment. So maybe THE LINE is something like the iPhone, you have whatever you want in this small thing.’ shares Doriana Mandrelli Fuksas shares alongside FUKSAS’ proposal for the ‘Zero Gravity Urbanism’ exhibition. Meanwhile, in his design, Jean Nouvel imagines THE LINE as ‘a place where people come together, a place that needs poets and artists and people who love nature and the sea, (…) a place of protection, a place where people will want to keep going back to.’ 

NEOM is based on technology, nature, community, sustainability, and livability | image © designboom

a radical approach to urban planning

NEOM’s exhibition will be held at the historic Abbazia di San Gregorio in Venice, showcasing a radical approach to urban planning that emphasizes the delicate balance between nature, livability, and human progress. Unlike traditional city development of the past century, NEOM (find more here) presents a sustainable model that addresses the world’s most urgent environmental and urban challenges, while accommodating the needs of a rapidly growing urban population. This model also tackles issues such as urban sprawl and climate change.

From a conservation standpoint, THE LINE proposes a city that can house up to 9 million residents while utilizing only 2% of the land footprint of cities with a similar population. This ensures that nature can flourish, safeguarding 95% of NEOM’s vast land area. Moreover, THE LINE sets an example as a city fully powered by renewable energy sources, with sustainable water and food production systems in place. From a human perspective, THE LINE’s innovative three-dimensional layout of private and public spaces ensures universal and equitable access to amenities and services. Additionally, every resident will enjoy direct views and immediate proximity to nature. The city is designed to be car-free, instead prioritizing hyper mixed-use walkable communities that provide convenient 5-minute access to daily necessities.

in Morphosis’ proposal, a network of parks weaves through the urban environment | image © designboom

‘The work undertaken by NEOM in the last few years will not only be important in the context of THE LINE, but will also in a pro-active and meaningful way, help to engage in the ongoing development of sustainable urban design globally.’ comments Nadhmi Al-Nasr, CEO of NEOM.

‘68% of the world’s population is expected to be living in urban areas by 2050. The current global urban model driven by the automobile is failing and must be revisited considering its impact on the environment and on people’s wellbeing.’ Antoni Vives, Chief Urban Planning Officer of NEOM, shares. 

‘Working on THE LINE with some of the most recognized designers and research institutions has resulted in a significant body of work that re-establishes our urban realm as a space for human and cultural exchange.’ Tarek Qaddumi, Executive Director of Urban Planning of NEOM, adds.

overview of Morphosis’ proposal | image © designboom

mobility corridors facilitate movement in Morphosis’ proposal | image © designboom

FUKSAS introduces a series of organic forms, transforming THE LINE into a hyper-connected permeable city | image © designboom

Studio FUKSAS was appointed to design modules 48, 49 and 50 for THE LINE | image courtesy of FUKSAS

sketch of FUKSAS’ proposal | image courtesy of FUKSAS

the proposal is based on a combination of elements: the Corals, the Clouds and the Rocks | image courtesy of FUKSAS

public realm strategy by Morphosis | image © designboom

Morphosis’ vision of the Hidden Marina | image © designboom

image © designboom

image © designboom

DMAA’s proposal presents a three-dimensional and networked landscape

image © designboom

a network of carved pocket parks weave through Pei Cobb Freed’s proposal | image © designboom

image © designboom

image © designboom

project info: 

name: Zero Gravity Urbanism – Principles for a New Livability
organized by: NEOM
event: Venice Architecture Biennale
dates: May 20 to September 24, 2023