Diriyah, KAFD and Metro stations Riyadh
2025.11.16 – 11.18 Gita Listia
The purpose of this Riyadh lighting survey is to explore the characteristics of old urban areas and new developments in KAFD Riyadh, with a particular focus on their metro stations. The study aims to understand how each area expresses its identity through public space lighting and how lighting strategies are applied in major infrastructure such as metro station.
■Diriyah
Diriyah is a historic area on the north-west side of Riyadh and one of Saudi Arabia’s most important cultural heritage sites. Located along Wadi Hanifah, about 15 km from central Riyadh, it reflects the early history of the city. Today, Diriyah is being developed into a vibrant heritage, cultural, and lifestyle destination, where historic preservation is carefully combined with modern urban design.
The lighting in Diriyah is designed to be subtle and heritage-sensitive. Very warm white tones are used to complement the Najdi mud-brick architecture, creating a calm and welcoming night-time atmosphere. Pole lights and bollards in Diriyah feature distinctive shapes, patterns, and warmer colour temperatures compared to typical street lighting in other parts of Riyadh. This traditional lighting character clearly signals that visitors are entering a cultural and heritage area.
■At-Turaif
At-Turaif is the birthplace of Saudi history and represents the cultural core of Diriyah. It is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lighting at At-Turaif is highly restrained and conservation-focused.
Soft grazing and wall-washing techniques are used to gently reveal the texture, depth, and form of the buildings.
Very warm colour tones are applied to match the natural colour of the Najdi mud-brick walls, while lighting levels are intentionally kept low. This approach preserves the authentic night-time atmosphere and ensures that the historic structures remain the primary focus, without being visually overpowered.
■ Al-Bujairi
Al-Bujairi (often referred to as Bujairi Terrace) is a heritage and lifestyle area within Diriyah, located directly adjacent to the historic At-Turaif district. It functions as a lively public space where people gather to eat, walk, meet, and enjoy the atmosphere of Diriyah.
Lighting here gently washes and accents walls, textures, arches, and towers to reveal material and form, rather than flooding the area with light. Some façades use projectors to create a more interactive experience, particularly where buildings have simple, flat mud-wall surfaces, adding visual interest while maintaining a warm and human-scale environment.
■KAFD (King Abdullah Financial District )
KAFD is a major new business and financial district located in north Riyadh. It is designed as a modern, high-density urban area, combining offices, hotels, residences, retail, and public spaces. Architecturally, KAFD is known for its futuristic and geometric buildings, designed by a range of famous international architects.
KAFD architecture is not purely Salmani style, but it is influenced by Salmani architectural principles, translated into a contemporary and international design language. Salmani architecture emphasizes local identity, human scale, geometric order, solidity, and references to Najdi architectural values, interpreted in a modern way rather than copied literally. As a result, many buildings in KAFD use strong geometric forms and clear massing, creating an impression of solidity rather than transparency. Façades often incorporate screens, fins, patterns, and depth, instead of flat glass curtain walls. Overall, the architectural image of KAFD is futuristic and global, rather than vernacular or historic.
Daylight is an important design consideration in KAFD. Most buildings are planned to allow daylight deep into interior spaces. Façade elements such as canopies, overhangs, colonnades, and podiums provide shade while still allowing filtered daylight, an essential strategy for Riyadh’s hot climate. Many buildings use glass and metal façades with shading fins, screens, or fritted glass to control glare and heat while maximizing usable daylight indoors. Beyond its architectural expression, KAFD is also a LEED-certified sustainable district, achieving Platinum recognition at both the neighborhood level and for several key buildings.
Urban connectivity is another defining feature of KAFD. Buildings are linked by an extensive network of bridges, each identified with its own colour lighting. These colour lighting may relate to different zones within the district, supporting wayfinding and spatial identity.
Lighting in KAFD is contemporary and expressive, especially when compared to heritage areas such as Diriyah. The district typically uses neutral to cooler white tones, higher light levels, and dramatic façade lighting to emphasize architectural form. Colour lighting is also introduced during festive events and special occasions. Some buildings are using flood light and some integrate concealed linear luminaires within façade joints, fins, or edges to highlight geometry and rhythm.
In public spaces, a layered approach, combining pole lighting, bollard, integrated handrail lighting, façade spill light, tree uplighting and accent lighting, creates visual depth, hierarchy, and a dynamic nighttime environment.
■Riyadh Metro Stations
A lighting survey was conducted along the Blue Line of the Riyadh Metro. Four stations were visited: King Fahd Library Metro Station, which follows a more standard station design, and three stations designed by international architects. KAFD Metro Station by Zaha Hadid Architects, Olaya Metro Station by Gerber Architekten）, and Qasr Al Hokm Metro Station by Snøhetta.
Overall, lighting across the metro stations is quite uniform. There is no strict differentiation in lighting for specific functional areas, such as directly above the platform alignment zone or above the ticketing gates. Instead, lighting is distributed evenly to support general visibility and passenger movement.
enhancing visibility and passenger comfort.
In terms of colour temperature, the stations use a mix of white and warm light.
white light is mainly applied for general illumination, ensuring clarity and safety, while warmer tones are used to enhance the atmosphere, particularly around feature walls or architectural elements.
■Conclusion
Diriyah, KAFD, and the Riyadh Metro stations demonstrate distinct lighting identities that reflect their urban and cultural roles within Riyadh.
Diriyah uses warm, low-level, and heritage-sensitive lighting to preserve historical character and create an intimate night-time atmosphere. KAFD contrasts this approach with contemporary lighting strategies, higher brightness levels, and neutral to cooler tones that emphasize modern architecture and urban clarity.
Riyadh Metro stations along the Blue Line apply a more uniform lighting approach, prioritizing functionality, safety, and passenger movement.
Overall, the study highlights how lighting is used as a key design tool to express heritage, modernity, and infrastructure across different urban contexts in Riyadh. (Gita Listia)
