On 15th October, NEOM’s Board of Directors announced the creation of Leyja, a new tourism destination along a meandering wadi, “a magnificent natural valley carved between 400m-high mountains that have been crafted over long centuries by the power of nature and water”. NEOM is an “economic engine”, a blueprint for “sustainable regional development” projects in northwest Saudi Arabia, “a community powered by talent and diversity across 14 sectors” of activity, with an expected investment of $500 billion from the country’s Public Investment Fund and local and international investors.
The new tourist destination consists of three resort hotels, set like pearls in the wadi that flows into the Gulf of Aqaba, each specialising in a different leisure and tourism-related activity. Traversing this wadi from the waters of the gulf inland, we first encounter a boutique hotel “tailor-made for active adventure“; if we go deeper into the gorge, we stumble upon a resort that clings to the rock “at the heart of the wadi’s largest oasis, (…) an enchanting gateway to discovery and exploration of the valley”; finally, on one of the gorge’s twists and turns, the third property, “an immersive wellness retreat that promotes longevity”, blends in with the rock walls thanks to “a high-tech reflective façade”. The architectural firms OMA, Mario Cucinella Architects and Killa Design are respectively responsible for the design of each of the three resorts.
OMA’s “deconstructed design“, in the case of the first of the resort hotels, folds into the topography of the wadi and ascends it like a cyclopean staircase, “with minimal contact to the rock”, say the architects. It therefore represents “an abstract extension of the terrain’s natural lines“. In addition, volumes “purposely devoid of large openings” encourage guests to “direct contact with their surroundings”.
In contrast, Mario Cucinella Architects’ design work came up with a structure that grows out of the rock, like a crystallised mineral, with textures and hues borrowed from the wadi itself. Of particular note is the long, fabled staircase, which ascends from the canyon to the entrance in “a journey of discovery offering unrivalled views”.
Killa Design defines the design of the third and final property, a wellness-oriented resort hotel, as a work of “visionary architecture in serene surroundings”. Undoubtedly, the specular façades are the highlight of the proposal. With them, the resort hotel acquires a ghostly, almost invisible, even spiritual presence, so that it hardly disturbs the natural space it occupies.
Leyja’s three resort hotels will have 40 rooms and suites respectively, and will offer a wide “selection” of activities and experiences. Among them, “fine dining and contemporary restaurants presented by world-renowned chefs”, guided walks and hiking trails, mountain biking, climbing… Various wellness facilities and rooftop infinity pools complete the picture.
If you want to get a better idea of the project, we recommend you this VÍDEO.
Sources: NEOM, OMA, Mario Cucinella Architects, Killa Design. Images: OMA, Killa Design, NEOM.
