For the Embassy of Saudi Arabia, AAArchitects was entrusted to renovate a monumental villa for use as a Cultural Bureau; an institution that attends to the needs of Saudi students studying in the Netherlands and Belgium.
This project is characterized by the harmonious duality between Dutch and Saudi culture. In most of the interior of the building, the Dutch design was restored in a modern way to reveal the grandeur of the original office villa, while simultaneously, infusing these spaces with Saudi cultural influences in a way that each identity complements the other. The design approach placed great importance on integral and functional design where light and spaciousness were central themes.
The material use and colour palette are from the two cultures; from the green marble in the lobby and the light green wall covering and wall panelling in the auditorium that is representative of Saudi culture to the new high-quality finishes of the circulation and office spaces that are appropriate to the original luxury of the building. All the fixed and loose furniture is customized and the climate installations were fully integrated into the fixed furniture so as not to disturb the continuity of the Arabic elements.
This approach is especially reflected in the lobby, the prayer room, the auditorium and the window treatment.