Rethinking the Heritage through a Modern and Contemporary Reinterpretation of Traditional Najd Architecture, Cultural Continuity in Riyadh

Abstract

The expressiveness of architectural language in terms of the formal and aesthetic approach is a feature that should not be secondary in contemporary buildings. The surface, texture, form, representation, and expression should prevail over aesthetic purposes in architecture. This research aims to highlight how the plastic and expressive value of the traditional buildings in the Najd region of Saudi Arabia, rich in cultural heritage and building form, can be translated into contemporary ones, creating the continuity of the local cultural identity in a rapidly growing context. This research used a qualitative methodology based on selecting seven modern and contemporary case studies in Riyadh. The selected case studies were analyzed using four criteria: composition aspects, plastic figuration, expressive value, and context connection. The comparison of the case studies underlined the plasticity and malleability of the wall surfaces, the formal character, and the aesthetic approach, showing continuity with the cultural heritage of the Najd architecture. These examples demonstrate how architecture that is attentive to place and history, incorporating local materials and its cultural heritage, can represent an opportunity to rethink the constructive and aesthetic approach to provide guiding criteria for contemporary architects designing in the rapidly expanding city.