LUSH GREEN OASIS

Slated for completion in 2018, the palm tree-covered transit hub has just entered the excavation stage and comes hot on the heels of another dune-inspired metro station, Zaha Hadid’s King Abdullah Financial District Metro Station in Riyadh.

Designed by Gerber Architekten, the new Olaya Metro Station design is part of the country’s plan to redevelop Riyadh’s metro system. The design features an undulating “minimalist dune” glass-enclosed structure that “establishes a dialogue between tradition and future.”

The oasis-like building is topped with a large rooftop park planted with palm trees in a grid formation. The park will also accommodate numerous water features and gathering spaces.

Below the undulating green roof is the large open-plan meeting area wrapped in floor-to-ceiling glass. Natural light floods the first floor and penetrates the underground levels that comprise a shopping mall, a multilevel car park, and two subway lines.