Nina Mall 1
China
View Project
Solitaire
- Location
- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Client
- AlMarqab Investment Company
- Services
- Masterplanning, Architecture, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture
- Sector
- Retail
- Awards
- RLI MENA Awards, 2024: Most Anticipated Opening
- Collaborators
- Engineer: WME
A landscaped mall for a new Riyadh
Solitaire is a 65,000 square metre retail destination in Riyadh, and Benoy’s largest completed project in the Middle East. Located near King Abdulaziz Road with views of the King Abdullah Financial District, the development breaks from the conventional enclosed mall typology with partially open-air retail streets, plazas, boutique quarters and an elevated roof garden across three levels.
Dates2025
Size
40,000m2
Towers: 17 and 27 storeys
The building’s geometry draws from the crystalline structure of geodes, an angular stone exterior that reads as a single, faceted form from the outside, giving way to softer textures, hanging planting and open-plan spaces within. The design concept permeates from façade through to internal finishes and landscape, creating a coherent material language throughout. A lightweight ETFE canopy spanning up to 40m shelters the central plaza, allowing natural light while managing solar gain.
Sustainability strategy
The design prioritises passive environmental performance in Riyadh’s climate. Wind towers at the northern and southern ends of the development create a comfortable outdoor environment without mechanical cooling. Biodiverse planting, water features and shaded respite areas extend this approach into the public realm, supporting visitor comfort and wellbeing.
Neil Serridge
Design Director, Benoy
“Solitaire’s building design is based on the crystalline form of the geode — the spherical, cavitied rock commonly found in deserts. It’s a unique geometry that shapes Solitaire’s multiple facades, shifting planes and internal finishes across three levels of interconnected space.”
