An innovative landmark blends calligraphy, architecture, and light at Al-Muhammadiyah Avenue.
In the entrance plaza of Al-Muhammadiyah Avenue in Riyadh, developed for First Avenue Real Estate Development Company in collaboration with architect and calligrapher Ahmad Tariq Jeddawi. The installation reflects First Avenue’s growing approach to integrating art and cultural expression within its developments, creating spaces where art forms part of the architectural identity and experience of place.
The piece draws its inspiration from the Quranic verse “For surely, you are before Our eyes.” (فَإِنَّكَ بِأَعْيُنِنَا), translating its message of protection and divine care into a permanent architectural landmark.
A Public Artwork Shaped by Light
The installation has been designed to interact continuously with its environment, where the visual experience shifts with the path of the sun and the changing seasons. Cut directly into its architectural form, the calligraphy of the verse becomes an instrument of light: as the sun moves across the sky, the structure casts fluid, moving shadows that reshape the surrounding space throughout the day.
The project also merges aesthetic and functional design. The diacritical marks (Tashkeel) that shape and punctuate the verse have been translated into a series of sculptural benches, surrounding the main structure and inviting reflection and seating within the plaza.
From Artistic Vision to Architectural Scale
Majaz led the comprehensive development and execution of the artwork, overseeing artistic and executive supervision, engineering coordination, fabrication management, and final installation.
Working closely with the artist, engineers, and a specialist production team, Majaz guided the translation of the original calligraphic concept into a permanent architectural-scale installation, balancing the artwork’s visual presence with structural performance and its intended interaction with natural light. The result is a landmark that reads at once as calligraphy, as architecture, and as a place to sit still.
Creating built environment through culturally relevant artistic experiences
For First Avenue, the commission forms part of a wider approach to integrating art into its developments, enriching the built environment through culturally relevant artistic experiences.
The project was produced by YQ Studios and completed through a multidisciplinary collaboration bringing together artistic practice, calligraphy, architecture, engineering, and specialist fabrication.
Majaz is a Saudi-based art consultancy working across art strategy, curation, commissioning, production, and project delivery. Through collaborations with artists, designers, architects, developers, and specialist producers, Majaz develops art experiences that respond to their architectural, cultural, and spatial contexts.
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