27
WINTER 2016
lyptus camaldulensis (River Red
Gum). Colour will be added to the
landscape through the flowering
Lagerstroemia flos reginae (Giant
Crape Myrtle), Cassia surattensis
(Golden Senna) and Delonix regia
(Royal Poinciana).
“The planting style here is a
bit different to ours,” Glasson
says. “In a desert environment
there tend to be more singular
trees, rather than groups. People
are quite used to the idea of vast
areas of space; trees aren’t a big
part of their psyche.”
Glasson looked to other cultural
touchstones as well. Paving is inspired by the patterns of Al Sadu
— the Bedouin tribal weaving artform. The Al Sadu motifs reinforce
the local aspect, and complement
the tent-like stadium. Similarly,
the ancillary buildings respond
to the local climate and culture
through a simple, natural palette
of stone and timber.
“I enjoyed finding ways to weave
the indigenous culture into
various aspects of the landscape,”
Glasson says. “The whole context
of the design is about linking back
to the collective abstract concept
of ‘Arabia’, and how that can resonate with the people from around
the region and the world who will
be coming here.”
ABOVE LEFT:
The stadium is
situated on a high
plateau above the
surrounding parkland. Wadi, or water
channels, run off the
plateau, while paved
paths read as dry
wadi.
ABOVE:
Native species will
include Tamarix
aphylla (Athel Tree)
Prosopis cineraria
(Jandi) and Acacia
tortilis (Sam