King Salman Charter for Architecture and Urbanism Award: Cementing Architectural Heritage and Authenticity Across the Kingdom

Under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the city of Riyadh will host the closing ceremony of the first edition of the King Salman Charter for Architecture and Urbanism Award on Sunday evening. The event is organized by the Architecture and Design Commission. This award is part of the commission’s efforts to integrate it into a strategy aimed at activating the Charter initiative, which seeks to cement architectural heritage and authenticity based on cultural and environmental heritage across various regions of the Kingdom. It also reflects future developments in the urban landscape and plays a significant role in encouraging projects that have adopted the Charter.
Launched in December 2023, the award aims to honor urban projects that adhere to the environmental and architectural Charter standards. It is intended to enhance the quality of life, support innovation and sustainability in the Kingdom, promote the Charter, and encourage practitioners and specialists to produce high-quality outcomes.
The award aims to achieve several key objectives: first, to enhance recognition of outstanding local projects that embody "authenticity, continuity, human-centricity, livability, innovation, and sustainability"; and second, to encourage companies, practitioners, and students to incorporate the Charter’s values into their work and outcomes. The award also contributes to achieving the Charter’s goals by promoting exemplary urban projects.
The Charter’s vision targets creating architectural excellence and improving the quality of life for all residents through forming architectural environments that build on cultural and environmental heritage while emulating the future. Launched in November 2021, the Charter serves as a strategic foundation for urbanization and the future of architecture. It sets forth a design methodology that highlights Saudi Arabia’s history and culture on one hand, while serving as a guide for decision-makers, specialists, and those interested in architecture and urbanism on the other.
The Charter aims to define the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman’s architectural vision, considering authenticity as the essence of creativity and advocating a flexible approach to novelty. It also stresses the need for refinement, which involves looking beyond the limits of time, place, and materials to appreciate the great aesthetic contributions behind them.
The launch of the Charter initiative was accompanied by exhibitions, informational meetings about the Charter, and various activities, as well as public discussions on architecture and design in different cities and regions of the Kingdom. Additionally, it included participation in several international events and occasions.
Regarding the award's vision, according to its strategy, it aims to enhance awareness of the Charter's impact on the architecture and urban design sector and improve the quality of life by promoting innovation and sustainability. It also aims to support individual talents and contributions in the urban sector, targeting architects, individual designers, project owners, architectural firms, and university students.
The Architecture and Design Commission has announced the shortlist for the King Salman Charter for Architecture and Urbanism Award, featuring a selection of leading projects chosen based on criteria derived from the Charter’s values. The projects fall under the award's main categories: the first category, "Built Projects," targets exceptional urban environments that have been designed, implemented, and are operational; the second category, "Unbuilt Projects," includes designs for outstanding urban environments of projects not yet completed; and the third category, "Student Projects," focuses on creative student projects that achieve architectural excellence.