The largest mirrored building in the world is called the Maraya and it’s in the desert of Saudi Arabia (as it is)
The May Maraya Concert Hall may be a Guinness Record creation, which is perhaps not the most interesting in its history. If there’s anything that really stands out about this unique building in the middle of the Saudi desert, some 220 km from Tabuk, it’s the philosophy behind it and how its creators managed to take it from theory to practice. decided. It was explained by Florian Boze, one of the architects most responsible for shaping it, during an interview with CNN Travel: “If a building cannot compete with the landscape, it must be realised”. It is not a salutation to the sun, nor an allegory, nor an abstract description. But. Maraia blends into its surroundings so well that, depending on the time of your visit, it can barely distinguish itself from the landscape.
Reason: It is fully equipped with mirrors.
Used… Maraya Concert Hall, Its name might not tell us much, but it couldn’t get better than this. “Maraya” means mirror or reflection in Arabic, and a building built a few years ago by the Royal Commission for Al Ula (RCU) in the desert of Saudi Arabia is exactly that: a building fitted with mirrors, which allow it to reflect and enhance the beauty around you. The effect is amazing. So much so that those who have already seen it are convinced that there are certain hours in the day during which it merges with its surroundings.
Maraya is not the only “mirror building” in the world, nor is it the first to play brilliantly with the reflections of the landscape around it. There are the mirrored houses designed by Peter Pichler for Bolzano, Italy, or the imposing LUMA Arles Tower by architect Frank Gehry for Arles in France, which is covered with stainless steel instead of glass, and because of its reflective ability Known for. Especially during La Puesta del Sol. You can bet that the Maraya Concert Hall has been included in the Guinness Book. And with reason.
What record do you have? Largest building with mirrors in the world. It was recognized as such in late 2019, the year it was introduced to the world, and as such it continues to appear in the Guinness World Records register today. To be more precise, Mara’a is covered with 9,740 square meters (m2) of mirrors, a second crystalline layer that allows it to reflect the amazing surroundings that surround it, the desert landscape of Al Ula. The respect, simply, could not last long.
Saudi Arabia itself is already working on another megaproject that also seeks to cover the mirrors, although its approach is slightly different: the line will be a “passage city” between 170 kilometers and 200 meters long, two long lanes of skyscrapers. be made of rows. Will rise 500 meters above sea level. All the moles are under construction and which, according to infographics shared by its promoters, will also be covered with a surface that will reflect the desert.
A Guide to the Desert and Culture, Maraya’s location may seem remote, but it’s quite logical. The building is located in the Asher Valley, an environment with spectacular gorges and rock formations carved over millions of years. The area also contains some of the most luxurious dwellings and not far from there is the archaeological enclave of Hegra or al-Hijr, known for its monumental tombs and decorated façades dating from 1 BC to 1 BC. Advertisement This place is recognized as a fact by UNESCO experts and is one of the best exponents of the Nabataean civilization.
“We had the privilege of visiting the site and seeing the natural and cultural landscape in depth, so when we presented our design, the first thing we wrote down was ‘nothing should be made visible here, so if we had to If so, it must be a silent mirror cube”, explains Florian Boze. The Italian studio Gio Forma Studio and Black Engineering were tasked with shaping it.
To whom is Maraya dedicated? The venue is a massive concert and festival hall which has been set up in record time. Among others, Alicia Keys, Andrea Bocelli and John Legend have reached its stage. On the Experience Alula page, they highlight that the venue also features an exclusive restaurant helmed by renowned British chef Jason Atherton. Its big “Joy” is a large 1,756 m² auditorium with a capacity of 500 people without restrictions, which completes its offer with VIP areas and venues for conferences and meetings.
“The 26-meter-high theater has a seating capacity of 550 people, which can fit into a huge retractable window of 800 square meters, which can open to nature, mixing environment and entertainment”, he collects documents.
all a mirror puzzle, The block is covered with a façade of mirrors measuring 9,740 square metres, a spectacular covering which was achieved due to the combination of several other mirror panels. And not of any kind. The material was provided by Guardian Glass, which explains that the promoters wanted a solution that suited the harsh conditions the building would face, exposure to the effects of sunlight on the coating and moisture, which could affect the sheets. Could
“To deal with these problems, a new copper mirror was developed, based on the highly durable Guardian Ultramirror internal mirror, but with a special protective coating”, explains the USA-based company, and emphasizes is: “I’m opposed to some of the harshest elements on the planet”.
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