Source of Knowledge

Everything about the Speaking Oasis, designed by Azaz Architects and sponsored by the Ithra Palm Initiative, starts with the palm. ‘This tree is a real source of knowledge that has not yet been shared with the rest of the world,’ explains Robert Frith, Creative Director, Ithra. Alazzaz agrees: ‘The date palm is deeply connected to the landscape and culture of Saudi Arabia, and particularly to the oasis, so using palm fronds felt like a very direct and authentic connection to Al-Hasa,’ she explains.

For both Alazzaz and Frith, the Speaking Oasis also reflects a growing interest in using design to reconnect us with material and craft. ‘The palm frond is a natural material with a long history of use in the region, and by bringing it into a contemporary architectural context, we are not simply preserving a tradition, we are allowing it to evolve,’ adds Alazzaz.

Both were also keen to pay homage to Saudi Arabia’s unique qualities: its traditions, communities and raw organic materials. ‘There is a nice saying in Arabic that every day of the year there is a new use for the palm,’ says Frith. Alazzaz adds: ‘We live in an increasingly connected world, but I don't think that means design should become more uniform. If anything, I think local knowledge, materials, craftsmanship and cultural identity become even more valuable.’

Working with local artisans, building The Speaking Oasis became a very hands-on, collaborative experience. Each element is entirely handmade. Every woven palm frond has its own slight variations, so although there is repetition across the installation, it never feels completely mechanical or uniform. ‘One of the biggest challenges was translating something as expansive and organic as Al-Hasa Oasis into a suspended installation. We were essentially taking a landscape and reducing it into a series of elements, rhythms, layers and colours. Suspending the installation from the ceiling allowed us to approach it almost as a floating landscape, a canopy that can be experienced from different perspectives,’ explains Alazzaz.

For the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), a cultural and architectural landmark in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, this project is just one element in a programme designed to bring the region’s traditions and craft to a wider audience. ‘We are a cultural centre for our community, and we want to share our knowledge with the world. Ithra is a multi-discipline centre, so we have many current projects and other arts initiatives, all highlighting the diversity of the palm,’ says Frith. That diversity extends to textile production potentially also utilising seaweed, and alternative uses for the palm flower stem. ‘This has similar properties to carbon fibre, so people are applying it to the automotive sector, replacing plastic car panels with palm stems. And that’s a material that was traditionally burnt on the farm,’ he adds.

Beyond even the palm, this project is, at its heart, all about new possibilities for cultural exchange. As Alazzaz explains: ‘When design can travel without losing its roots; when traditional knowledge can inform contemporary thinking; and when architecture can create a conversation between heritage, sustainability, craftsmanship and new ways of experiencing space, that is very exciting.’