Al Musalla is a contemporary sacred structure born from the AlMusalla Prize and realized through the winning project On Weaving by EAST Architecture Studio. Made of reclaimed palm wood and woven fibers, it embodies a rare balance of architectural innovation and cultural heritage — a work that demands museum-grade handling, precision, and respect for its ritual and symbolic value.
The journey began in Jeddah, where Al Musalla was first installed for the Islamic Arts Biennale at the Western Hajj Terminal, King Abdulaziz International Airport. Presented from January 25 to May 25, 2025, the Biennale showcased Islamic art, history, and contemporary creations, providing the original context for the work’s debut.
After its first presentation in Jeddah for the Islamic Arts Biennale, Al Musalla was selected to travel internationally as a living fragment of Saudi cultural identity. Its relocation became the core of Rooted Transience at San Gregorio Abbey during the Venice Architecture Biennale, bringing a tangible piece of contemporary Saudi architecture into dialogue with Venice’s historic fabric.
The fragment was shipped from Saudi Arabia to Venice inside a dedicated container aboard a cargo vessel. Upon arrival in Italy, its condition was formally assessed and certified before reassembly in the Abbey’s cloister. The structure was mounted onto a custom welded metal base, ensuring both the protection of the cloister flooring and a stable support throughout the Biennale. Alongside the fragment, a selection of objects crafted from the same palm-based materials was displayed, extending the narrative of On Weaving through its shared material language.
From Venice, Al Musalla continued its itinerary to the Bukhara Biennale 2025, where it was presented as part of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation program. BLΛCK supported the production management on site, ensuring the work’s installation aligned with curatorial intent and local exhibition conditions.
This journey highlights BLΛCK’s ability to deliver highly sensitive cultural operations at an international scale, where logistical precision and respect for symbolic value are equally essential. Across each relocation, BLΛCK managed the full art-handling process — technical assessment, dismantling, cataloguing, packing, international shipping, reassembly, and commissioning — preserving Al Musalla’s materials, geometries, and weaving techniques with museum-grade care.
