Saudi Arabia‘s $500 billion giga-project Neom has appointed a team to lead the architecture and engineering for the first phase of The Line.
Austrian studio Delugan Meissl Associated Architects (DMAA) is the urban designer for the project’s first phase, while global studio Gensler will serve as city planning consultant. UK engineering studio Mott MacDonald is the infrastructure engineer.
First announced in 2021, The Line is a zero-carbon city with “vertically layered” buildings for work, living and leisure.
The Line: a zero-carbon city
Denis Hickey, chief development officer at The Line, said: “As development and construction of The Line progresses, we have established a unique partnership that brings world-leading city design and engineering expertise to deliver phase one.
“Collaboration is at the core of this, with a city-wide best practice group that will showcase how innovation can change the way we consider, design and build cities forever. This reflects Neom’s vision and global ambition.”
As urban designer, DMAA will lead the concept and detailed masterplan. Gensler will lead on city design coordination and city planning, and Mott MacDonald will drive management and control of vertical and horizontal structures and city utility systems.
Per a press release, The Line is being designed to tackle global urban challenges and will be a sustainable destination without roads or cars.
Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia’s economy minister Faisal Al Ibrahim said Neom’s projects will go ahead as planned following reports that plans for The Line had been scaled back.
“We set out to do something unprecedented and we’re doing something unprecedented – and we will deliver something that’s unprecedented,” he said.
Other projects at Neom include Trojena, a mountain resort with a ski village, ski slope, wellness resorts and a nature reserve, and Oxagon, an octagonal floating port city.
Neom’s first destination, the Sindalah luxury resort, opened last month.
Images courtesy of Neom
