Which architecture studios are working on Neom?
Details of the controversial Neom project in Saudi Arabia have become clearer over the past year, with 23 architecture studios believed to be working on the multi-region mega-development. This is what they are saying about it.
Once shrouded in mystery, a flurry of announcements from Neom – along with several exhibitions and a documentary – have shed light on some of the project details, including its designers.
Currently, 23 architecture studios, including Morphosis, BIG, Zaha Hadid Architects, OMA and UNStudio, are known to be working on the controversial scheme.
The Line still shrouded in mystery
As part of our recent feature exploring whether studios should reconsider working on Neom due to growing awareness of human rights concerns, Dezeen reached out to each of the 23 studios. However, none of them were willing to talk about the project.
The architects designing the majority of resorts on the Gulf of Aqaba have been officially revealed, while the architects connected to the other projects have been featured in exhibitions created by Neom in Riyadh and Venice.
The Line remains the most shrouded in mystery. It is understood that US studio Morphosis designed the masterplan, while studios including Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, HOK and Cook Haffner Architecture Platform were featured in a Discovery channel documentary on the project and others including Studio Fuksas and Oyler Wu Collaborative were part of an exhibition focused on the scheme.
Four studios that carried out design work for Neom aren no longer working on the scheme.
It is understood that Adjaye Associates and Coop Himmelb(l)au are no longer working on the project. Austria studio Coop Himmelb(l)au CEO Wolf Prix said he was no longer working on the scheme in an exclusive interview with Dezeen, while Neom confirmed to architecture magazine Architects' Journal that Adjaye Associates was no-longer connected to the project. HOK were also include in The Line documentary, but confirmed to Dezeen last year that it was no longer working on the project.
Dutch studio Mecanoo carried out early design work on Trojena project, but confirmed to Dezeen it is no longer working on the project.
Below is the full list of studios working on Neom along with a selection of comments they have made in promotional videos, documentaries or at events:
Morphosis – The Line
US studio Morphosis designed the concept for The Line mega city, which is the largest and most complex project being developed as part of Neom. The city is planned to be 170 kilometres long and made from two parallel, 500-metre-high skyscrapers – though the timeline for delivery was recently significantly lengthened.
"I can't think of anybody that wouldn't want to be part of this project," said Morphosis founder Thom Mayne in a Discovery Channel documentary. "It's going to be, without a question, the single most extraordinary piece of work that begins in the first quarter of the 21st century."
Speaking at a talk hosted by the AIA at the Center for Architecture in Manhattan, Mayne said: "Unfortunately, I won't be able to show you the two most interesting projects I have, and they're both cities," he said, including "a big planning thing in Saudi Arabia that I can't talk about."
Studio Fuksas – The Line
Italian practice Studio Fuksas told Dezeen that it is "still among the architects involved" in The Line.
Speaking to Italian newspaper La Repubblica in a rare interview by an architect working on the project, Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas said that the project aligned with the aims of the Venice Architecture Biennale they curated in 2000.
"It's like an urbanisation project that does not touch the poetry of the desert," said Massimiliano Fuksas.
"After all, the architecture biennale that we curated in 2000 was entitled: Less Aesthetics More Ethics. A motto that is now in the spirit of our time."
Massimiliano Fuksas revealed that the studio is working on three modules for the city, which will consist of a pair of parallel 500-metre-high skyscrapers.
"You shouldn't think of the concept of tower or skyscraper in the classic sense," Doriana Fuksas told La Repubblica. "In our modules all the urban functions are present and integrated: homes, green areas, public spaces of various types."
Delugan Meissl Associated Architects – The Line
One of 12 studios included in The Line Exhibition in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Austria studio Delugan Meissl Associated Architects confirmed to Dezeen that it "is currently working on a design study" for The Line mega city.
The studio has not commented publicly on the project.
Pei Cobb Freed & Partners – The Line
US studio Pei Cobb Freed & Partners also featured in The Line Exhibition in Riyadh and the Discovery channel documentary.
"You look around at cultures that are just propagating endless fields of point towers, and saying that that's the way to create a society, then you ask yourself, maybe we should rethink this, maybe we should have some new urban ideas," said Michael Bischoff, partner at Pei Cobb Freed & Partners in the documentary.
"It is inspiring to take things that we've seen happening in sci-fi and say, is it really sci-fi? Or is it really the world, that's what is at the heart of this," he said.
"We've realised that if you're 500 metres tall, that there was a spot at about 300 metres high that we felt was a sweet spot urbanistically and allowed for a place that people could come together and provide the livable public realm," he added.
"You can't do this if you're not excited about it."
Tom Wiscombe Architecture – The Line
Tom Wiscombe Architecture was one of the 12 studios included in The Line Exhibition in 2023. The studios current involvement is unknown.
It has not commented publicly.
Oyler Wu Collaborative – The Line
Oyler Wu Collaborative was one of the 12 studios included in The Line Exhibition in 2023. The studios current involvement is unknown.
It has not commented publicly.
Cook Haffner Architecture Platform – The Line
Cook Haffner Architecture Platform is one of the studios believed to be designing one of the five 700-metre-long segments that will make up phase one of The Line.
"There is a certain moral atmosphere – we shouldn't be too clever," Cook Haffner Architecture Platform co-founder Peter Cook told the Discovery Channel documentary. "You shouldn't need to experiment, don't do anything too funky. I came out of a funky period."
"If it succeeds, it will be a new Babylon, so to speak," added Cook, who rose to prominence during the 1960s for his work with experimental architecture collective Archigram. "And if it doesn't succeed, it will be an interesting phenomenon."
Cook also reportedly told a launch event for an exhibition about Neom that The Line's 500-metre height is "a bit stupid" and appeared to doubt that the full project will be delivered.
BIG – Oxagon
Danish studio BIG was named as the architect of the Oxagon floating port city, which was first announced in 2022, at an exhibition taking place during the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2023.
BIG founder Bjarke Ingels is not known to have talked publicly about the project, and when asked about the project near the end of an interview with Dezeen last year he interrupted and ended the conversation.
"Let's skip it," he said, and walked away.
German studio LAVA is working on two projects as part of Neom. The studio is masterplanning the Trojena ski resort, which was one of the first projects officially announced as part of the giga-project, and the recently announced Aquellum resort on the Gulf of Aqaba.
Speaking at the Cityscape conference in Riyadh, LAVA project director Lukas Kronawitter explained how the Trojena project was allowing the studio to develop its wider ideas of sustainable cities.
"Taking the challenge on to build the land of the future – that's no small task," he said. "For a long time, we believed that the key to creating sustainable cities is essentially putting together humankind and natural systems a bit more closely. So this is an ideal setting, environment and opportunity."
LAVA founder Alexander Rieck was also featured in The Line Discovery channel documentary.
"Neom itself is one of the most amazing places in the past decade, where the best minds are coming together," he said. "And we can test out different solutions."
Name Architecture – Aquellum
UK studio Name Architecture, which is led by architect Nathalie Rozencwajg, is collaborating with LAVA on the Aquellum project.
Although Rozencwajg has not spoken publicly about Neom, she does describe the upside-down skyscraper in a promotional video for the project.
Zaha Hadid Architects – Trojena
Zaha Hadid Architects is one of numerous studios designing projects within the Trojena ski resort. Renders of a crystalline supertall skyscraper that will contain observation decks and restaurants, as well as a sinuous lookout designed by the studio, were revealed last year.
Zaha Hadid Architects is not known to have spoken publicly about its Neom projects.
UNStudio – Trojena
Dutch practice UNStudio is also working on the Trojena project. No details have been revealed of UNStudio's scheme and the practice is not known to have commented publicly on Neom.
Aedas – Trojena and Gidori
Aedas is designing a golf resort on the Gulf of Aqaba called Gidori, as well as being one of the studios working on the Trojena ski resort.
Although Aedas has not spoken publicly about Neom, a project description on its website reads: "Gidori is a testament to where creative design and cutting-edge technologies push the boundaries."
"To expand our commitment to innovation, Aedas will continue to participate in the Neom's mega-development, including Trojena Ski Village, a futuristic year-round tourist destination," it continues.
Bureau Proberts – Trojena and Jaumur
Australian studio Bureau Proberts is also designing a resort on the Gulf of Aqaba as well as working on the Trojena ski resort.
In a promotional video for the Jaumur resort, Bureau Proberts head of architecture Terry McQuillan said: "Neom is looking to rewrite the history books when it comes to architecture. Jamour is a place like no other, a place we never thought was possible."
Luca Dini Design and Architecture – Sindalah
Italian superyacht and architecture studio Luca Dini Design and Architecture is designing the Sindalah island resort in the Red Sea, which is planned as the first part of Neom to complete. Aerial images released earlier this year showed the development nearing completion.
The studio is not known to have spoken publicly about the island resort.
Killa Design – Leyja
Dubai studio Killa Design founder Shaun Killa is one of three architects designing hotels for the Leyja resort on the Gulf of Aqaba. His offering will be a hotel with mirrored walls, similar to those proposed to The Line mega city.
Explaining the project in a promotional video, Killa said: "One of the greatest challenges is creating beautiful buildings that change emotion, that are timeless and sustainable."
"It's our responsibility to build as such a light touch in the wadi that it's almost like a footprint hasn't landed," he continued.
Mario Cucinella Architects – Leyja
Italian studio Mario Cucinella Architects is designing a rock-shaped hotel as part of the Leyja resort on the Gulf of Aqaba.
"In the last century, architecture was against nature, no?" Cucinella said in a video promotig Leyja. "Polluting cities, polluting people, polluting the air."
"Our work is to find again this friendship with nature," he added. "To design a building is a journey, from the dreams to the reality is the most difficult part."
Dutch studio OMA is working on two resorts as part of the Gulf of Aqaba development at Neom, both led by partner Chris van Duijn. It is designing one of the three hotels at Lejya and also an "exclusive sanctuary resort" named Zardun.
"Neom is founded on a very sustainable approach," van Duijn said in a video showcasing Leyja. "It's energy-neutral. It's carbon-neutral. The world needs to see how we can develop positive solutions for us to live in."
In a promotional video for Zardun, he added: "We need to think about the future of the planet. It's not even a question of whether we want to do it or not – we have to do it. This is the scale of thinking here in Neom."
10 Design – Norlana and Epicon
Hong Kong-based 10 Design is also working on two resorts on the Gulf of Aqaba, coastal yachting town Norlana and a pair of jagged skyscrapers called Epicon.
"We are sitting at a very delicate point in history – we have to look at this is a sense of what we're providing for our children," said 10 Design senior design principal Leonard Milford in a promotional film for Epicon.
"In the future we want it to be looked upon as a moment in time that changed people's view on how we as humans live in spaces."
Mark Foster Gage – Treyam and Elanan
US architect Mark Foster Gage is also designing two projects for Neom on the Gulf of Aqaba. His Elanan project is described as a "secret garden" spa resort, while the Treyam project will contain a 450-metre-long bridge topped with a swimming pool.
"Neom is reinventing what urbanism can be for the 21st century," said Gage in a promotional video for the Elanan resort. "It's about discovering new ways that we can occupy this world in a more imaginative way, for future generations to discover."
Woods Bagot – Siranna
International architecture studio Woods Bagot is also designing a resort on the Gulf of Aqaba.
Speaking in a promotional video for the project, Woods Bagot CEO Nik Karalis said: "Neom is creating a moment in our history – it's forcing us to unlearn everything and push us somewhere where we have never been beforehand redefine what we do in the future."
Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura – Utamo
Also set to be built on the Gulf of Aqaba is the Utamo performance venue, which is being designed by Spanish studio Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura.
"If we go back to the first existing buildings, there's always a story," said Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura president Ricardo E Bofill in a Neom promotional video.
"If they are good it is because they make you cry, they make you laugh, they make you emotional, right? They remind you of your own stories of your past. Utamo tells its own story, a story of progress, a story of ambition, a story of the future."
Sordo Madaleno Arquitectos – Xaynor
Mexican studio Sordo Madaleno Arquitectos is designing a beach-side members' club on the Gulf of Aqaba.
"Neom is breaking the barriers of architecture and pushing you to connect with nature in a way that hasn't been done before," said Sordo Madaleno Arquitectos partner Fernando Sordo Madaleno in a promotional film for Xaynor.
"As architects we have a responsibility to reconnect human beings with this incredible planet we call home."