The Qasr Al Hokm Downtown Metro Station, along with the Western Station, is one of the principal hubs of Riyadh's new metro network. Connecting the North-South Blue Line and the East-West Red Line, it plays a central role within the city's public transport system, linking key districts while contributing to reduced traffic congestion, improved air quality and more sustainable urban mobility.
Developed from Snøhetta's original concept, the project comprises a vast public plaza, a mosque, a monumental entrance, a three-storey parking facility and underground connections to an off-site plaza. Conceived as an open urban and pedestrian destination, the station and mosque are unified beneath a large stainless-steel canopy that defines the identity of the project while creating a generous civic space for the city.
Situated in the historic heart of Riyadh, close to the original palace and the city's traditional adobe architecture, the station establishes a dialogue between the long-established urban fabric and the contemporary metro network. Adjacent to a significant Eid prayer field, the public plaza extends across the site as a continuous civic landscape dedicated to both the metro station and the mosque. Indigenous trees provide shade throughout the plaza, while rows of planted drainage channels aligned towards Makkah allow the space to function as an outdoor extension of the mosque during major religious gatherings.
The station itself comprises an urban-scale public concourse, retail spaces, offices, ticketing facilities and access points to the intersecting metro lines. The building stands as an architectural landmark through its large stainless-steel canopy, which not only provides extensive shading for the public realm but also channels natural daylight deep into the underground station, shaping its internal architecture.
The canopy is supported by a lightweight steel space frame that spans above the station's reinforced concrete cone wall, allowing the reflective stainless-steel surface to appear almost suspended above the plaza. Beneath ground level, the cone wall forms the inclined interior surfaces of the station, finished with a traditional render that acknowledges the site's historic context. Acting as both a unifying architectural element and a key point of orientation, the mirror-like canopy reflects the city above while bringing indirect daylight into the station below. The two metro lines traverse the central atrium within glazed tubes, creating a striking visual composition that enhances passenger orientation and strengthens the connection between the different station levels.
The interior is characterised by spacious, open volumes flooded with indirect natural light. Large openings between the floor slabs reinforce the visual continuity across all levels, while the cone-shaped atrium creates a strong spatial identity. At its base, approximately 35 metres below ground level, an accessible subterranean garden introduces an unexpected green oasis within the station. Connected to both metro lines and the transfer level, the shaded garden offers passengers a calm waiting environment while maintaining a naturally temperate microclimate. Rainwater collected from the canopy and surrounding plaza contributes to the irrigation of the landscape, reinforcing the project's sustainable approach.
The station structure consists of two distinct structural systems. At plaza level, a composite steel-concrete structure supports the canopy, while the underground station is formed entirely in reinforced concrete. The floor slabs are realised using hollow-core planks and solid reinforced concrete sections, working together with the surrounding ground anchorage system to ensure structural stability against earth pressures. The station is also connected to a two-level underground reinforced concrete parking facility.
Sustainability is embedded throughout the project. The station incorporates passive environmental strategies including natural shading, daylight harvesting, water conservation and ventilation, while providing an efficient public transport system and high-quality public spaces that strengthen both the environmental and social sustainability of Riyadh's rapidly growing urban landscape.
Client: Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC)
Green Building Rating System: LEED 2009 Gold Certification
Design Team: Snohetta, CREW Cremonesi Workshop, Oneworks
Construction Management: CREW Cremonesi Workshop, Oneworks
Contractors: ANM Consortium - Webuild (Italy), L&T (India), Nesma (KSA), Hitachi (Italy/Japan) and Alstom (UK)
Project stages: Concept design to construction completion
Scope: Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Interior Architecture, Structures and MEP
