Photographer
Nour El Refai ↗AlUla, Saudi Arabia 2025
During my recent trip to AlUla and after my photo shoot of Dar Tantora and Beit Bin Nouh in the old town, I had the chance to visit Maraya, a mirrored concert hall that reflects the surrounding desert landscape and mountains, creating the illusion that the structure is hiding and blending seamlessly with its environment.
- Designed by
- Gio Forma
In the heart of AlUla, where monumental rock formations define the landscape, Maraya takes a different approach to architecture. Designed by Gio Forma, the mirrored concert hall reflects the surrounding mountains and desert, allowing the building to almost disappear within its setting. Rather than competing with the landscape, Maraya becomes part of it — a structure shaped as much by what it reflects as by what it contains.
Seen from different angles and under changing light, Maraya is never quite the same. Its mirrored façade captures fragments of the ancient landscape, shifting between visibility and illusion. The result is a quiet dialogue between the contemporary and the timeless — a building that does not simply stand in AlUla, but reflects its story back to those who encounter it.
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