Concert Hall on Mars? Mirror building in the desert Maraya Concert Hall
In the distant Arabian desert, among the red sands and crescent dunes, the mirrored Maraya Concert Hall shines. It reflects the rising sun, heavy and juicy, like an orange. And when night falls over the desert, the starry sky twinkles with hundreds of lights. Is it any wonder that the man-made miracle was awarded the Guinness Book of Records and became the venue for world-scale events?
What is Maraya Concert Hall?
“Maraya” in translation from Arabic means “mirror”. Indeed, there is no better name. A whopping 9,740 square meters of mirrors cover the outer walls of the cuboid building, reflecting the scenic surroundings of the Al-Ula Valley.
The Concert Hall is designed in the Land Art architectural style. This trend originated in the United States of America in the late 1960s. The key idea of the style is that the building created by the artist should be directly related to the natural landscape. Most often, buildings in the direction of land art are located in places remote from settlements. Where they are left only to themselves and the action of the elements. Likewise, Maraya Concert Hall shines in the middle of the desert, reflecting all its splendor.
The history of the creation of the “mirror miracle”
The building was designed by the Milan-based Gio Forma Studio Associato. The architects had to work hard to make the dream of a reflective glass facade a reality. The US company Guardian Glass, a world-famous glass manufacturer, came to the rescue. They developed a first-of-its-kind solution specifically for this project, creating robust mirrors that are immune to sand, wind and temperature.
The area where the mirror building is located is called Mad-in-Saleh. It is famous for the fact that there are intricately shaped sandstones and mountains with hundreds of ancient tombs, which have already been read for about 2 thousand years. They also complement the surroundings and look spectacular at sunset thanks to their orange rock.
The importance of Maraya Concert Hall in the modern world
Maraya Concert Hall has 500 seats and has hosted renowned singers and musicians since its opening. The concert hall’s creative debut began with the Winter at Tantora festival, which lasts for three whole months. Enrique Iglesias, Craig David, Lionel Richie, Jamiroquai and Gypsy Kings, as well as opera stars Andrea Bocelli and Jose Carreras have already become guests of the concert hall. In addition to its extraordinary beauty, Maraya Concert Hall is equipped with the latest theater and opera sound system. The guest chairs are arranged like an amphitheater, which also guarantees comfort and sound quality.
Maraya Concert Hall will become the center of the top events in the Middle East, as well as concerts, celebrations, gatherings and even business meetings. Its main feature is that nature, culture and man coexist in harmony. Saudi Arabia also plans to turn this place into a unique cultural oasis in the desert with exhibition centers and open space galleries.
