The Sports Boulevard Foundation said it has won the prestigious 'King Salman Charter for Architecture and Urbanism award' organised by the Architecture and Design Commission. 

 

The award is in recognition of the project’s excellence in embracing the principles and standards of the charter through the implementation of the design code for the Sports Boulevard (a large-scale linear urban park project in Riyadh), said a statement from Sports Boulevard Foundation.

 

One of Riyadh’s mega projects, The Sports Boulevard was launched by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz in 2019. Chaired by HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Sports Boulevard Foundation is committed to improving the quality of life for the city’s residents and visitors by offering them integrated infrastructure and pedestrian pathways, cycling pathways and horse-riding trails.

 

The award was presented by Dr Sumayah Al Sulaiman, the CEO of Architecture and Design Commission, to Jayne McGivern, the CEO of Sports Boulevard Foundation, at a special ceremony held at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh.

 

The Foundation won the top recognition for its integration of unique design code and a commitment to applying the design code, which balances authenticity and modernity, showcasing innovative and distinct urban outputs.

 

The award seeks to celebrate and recognise projects that distinguish themselves by embodying the values of the King Salman Charter for Architecture and Urbanism, it stated.

 

The award aims to contribute to achieving the objectives of the Charter and to encourage and motivate entities, practitioners, and students to incorporate the Charter’s values into their own work and outputs to help foster a competitive environment that produces a higher level of urban excellence, it added.

 

On the prestigious award win, McGivern said it was indeed a moment of pride for her to have bagged the award and acknowledged the importance of the vision of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, in the urban field. 

 

"We are delighted that we have won this award, which reflects the magnitude of the project’s achievement through its design and application of local identity and Salmani architecture in all its elements. I also would like to thank all our SBF design team and our design consultants, Fosters, Coen & Partners, Buro Happold for their efforts and inputs that have contributed to this success," she stated.

 

The project applies local identity and Salmani architecture across its various elements, not just in buildings, and has gained the trust of a committee of 30 local and international experts in architecture and design.

 

She pointed out that the Sports Boulevard project was designed to revolutionise urban planning in Riyadh. 

 

"Spanning over a 135km area, the project boasts more than 4.4 million sq m of green and open spaces, along with up to 50 multi-disciplinary sports facilities with integrated infrastructure," she explained.

 

In 2022, the Sports Boulevard Foundation had launched the design code for all buildings located on Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Road with emphasis on the significance of local identity and Salmani architecture, which embodies authenticity and modernity in design. 

 

The code is aimed at creating a modern and sustainable environment that enhances the quality of life, she added.-TradeArabia News Service