VENICE: The futuristic and new designs of The Line, part of the NEOM, a trailblazing linear city of Saudi Arabia, are being exhibited for the first time outside the country during the eighteenth edition of the Venice Architecture Biennale.
The Line is part of the smart city NEOM, being constructed in the Tabuk region of Saudi Arabia.
The designs are on show in the exhibition event “Zero Gravity Urbanism: Principles for a New Livability,” which is being organized in a former church, the Abbazia di San Gregorio, one of the oldest buildings in Venice, and adds high-tech futurism into the Gothic and Renaissance architecture of its location. It also provides a view of the beautiful architecture of The Line, which is the first linear city in the world.
When the visitors enter the building, they will see the exhibition’s main point: a large-size 9×13 meter relief plan of NEOM set in the courtyard, reflecting The Line’s latest design, its non-disruptive connection with its natural environment, and its passage through the mountain, coastal, and desert landscapes, Arab News reported on Tuesday.
The exhibition uses high-tech simulations, maquettes, and installations to explain Zero Gravity Urbanism, which the organizers define as “a linear and 3-dimensional concept providing an innovative alternative to the current urban model.
NEOM’s design
The design intends to address important global challenges like climate change, rising social and economic inequalities, and the growing demand for urban land. People from all cultures, classes, and walks of life would be able to find a home in The Line, which also aims to present a model for developing cities with an approach to standards of living and conservation.
The exhibition would last until 24 September. It brings together twenty of the world’s top architects, future thinkers, and designers and marks the start of the Zero Gravity Urbanism concept. Massimiliano Fuksas, Jean Nouvel, Sir Peter Cook, and Ben van Berkel were among the renowned architects who joined representatives from NEOM leadership and CEO Nadhmi Al-Nasr at the exhibition’s inauguration ceremony, attended by more than one hundred other architects from around the world.
