Year 2022
Al Ula
Conceived as both sculpture and immersive architecture, the Resonant Shell responds to the whispering landscapes of AlUla with its expressive morphology of deserts and stone massifs, by offering contemplative haptic, tactile and sonic experiences to its visitors.
Placed at the threshold between oasis and city, the artwork appears as a protective shell interwoven in layers of textiles and clay. The translucent outer skin announces the hidden spiral staircase behind, which invites visitors to rest perched atop the shell, overlooking a sublime perspective onto the oasis, the surrounding landscape and the open sky. Conversely, the core of mudbrick creates an inward-looking atmosphere of soothing silence where hidden speakers diffuse the soft acoustics of the desert underground. The Shell resonates with the sounds interpreted by musician Youmna Saba, recorded in the oasis, following water paths and the nearby ancient Nabataean site of Hegra, where tombs carved into the stone over two thousand years ago carry the stories of an enigmatic civilization.
Timelessness and ephemerality, familiarity and alienation temporarily collide within the space as visitors come and go.
Design: Nathalie Harb, Gabriele Pascolini and Alex Tzortzis de Paz
Sound Conception and Composition: Youmna Saba
Acoustic Consultancy: 21dB | Acoustics & Audio Consultants
Sound Recordings: Anthony Sahyoun
Project management: Gabriele Pascolini
Visual identity: Lama Zouein
Photography: Agostino Osio, Alto Piano Studio