Paris’ Centre Pompidou is partnering with Saudi Arabia to open a new contemporary art museum in the kingdom’s AlUla development, billed as the world’s largest living museum.
According to a report in Le Monde, the Centre Pompidou is in the process of signing a contract with Saudi authorities to establish the planned venue, called Perspective Galleries.
Lebanese architect Lina Ghotmeh has designed the museum, which will join the Centre Pompidou’s upcoming and existing locations in Metz, Brussels, New Jersey, Malaga and Shanghai.
World’s largest living museum
The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) is investing $5.2bn in the first phase of AlUla, which is set to complete in 2023. RCU is working alongside the French government agency Afalula on the $15bn project.
To be created in three phases in 2023, 2030 and 2035, AlUla is located close to Saudi’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hegra.
AlUla’s first masterplan was unveiled in 2021 by Mohammad bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia. The site includes five unique districts, five heritage sites, 15 cultural assets and museums, 10 million square metres of green spaces, and 5,000 hotel rooms.
The proposals also include a luxury resort designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, due to debut in 2023. It is located in the mountains of AlUla, within the Sharaan Nature Reserve.
Earlier this week, the RCU and Afalula shared more information about AlUla’s Villa Hegra, described as a new creative venue inspired by “some of France’s most prestigious cultural institutions”.
The project will “contribute meaningfully to the cross-cultural dialogue between Saudi Arabia and France and more generally between the Arab world and Europe”, said Fériel Fodil, CEO of Villa Hegra.
“Villa Hegra embodies the encounter between the heart of the Arab world and the French creative spirit,” added Gérard Mestrallet, executive chairman of Afalula.
The Centre Pompidou’s plans in Saudi Arabia come after the launch of the Louvre Abu Dhabi in 2017.
Images: AlUla / Centre Pompidou
