Visitor Centre

The first finished building

The Visitor Centre is the first building in King Salman Park that the Foundation describes as completed. It was designed by David Adjaye of Adjaye Associates on the Salmani architecture principles: natural ventilation, traditional materials and a blurred line between inside and outside. The Foundation announced the construction contract on 23 January 2022. The building appears in the Foundation's investment brochure as completed.

Built from earth

Five pavilions sit under one overarching canopy, and about 6,500 m² of prefabricated rammed-earth wall gives the building its colour and texture, according to RIBAJ. Lehm Ton Erde consulted on the earth walls, Earthman executed them and Buro Happold designed the canopy. The form is inspired by the Tuwaiq mountains.

What's inside

The Foundation lists a plant nursery, a multi-use hall, meeting rooms, exhibition areas, restaurants and cafes, a main auditorium for up to 230 guests and a terrace with 360-degree views. A February 2025 Foundation release refers to a "Sky Pavilion" viewpoint when the German President visited.

90,000 m² of what?

The Foundation gives 90,000 m², and our reading of the Foundation wording is that this covers the whole site and public space, not the building. The 2019 plan said 80,000 m². MEED has listed a gross floor area of about 6,000 m², which would be the building itself. The three figures measure different things.

Where it stands

The structure is finished, but we have found no opening date and no public visiting programme. Arabic sources use مركز الزوار (Visitors Centre) rather than any other term.