RIYADH: In the heart of Al-Watan Park, in the historic district of Al-Futah, stands a familiar yet overlooked silhouette: the Burj Al Khazzan. This 61-meter-tall water tower, built in the 1970s by Swedish architect Sune Lindstrom, long served a crucial role: storing water for a rapidly growing capital.
Today, as Riyadh redefines its urban identity under Vision 2030 and the Green Riyadh initiative, the Burj may soon begin a new life — cultural, ecological, symbolic.
Still at the conceptual stage, the transformation project was envisioned by Stella Amae, a Franco-Japanese architecture firm based in Paris and Barcelona, after a consultation launched by the Public Investment Fund.
“The Burj is a unique object. It speaks of heritage, of water, of collective memory. We want to make it a living landmark, a Tree of Life,” said Alexandre Stella, co-founder of Stella Amae.
The concept structure : a bioclimatic façade that interacts with air, light, sound and humidity. (Supplied)
