Zaha Hadid Architects designing sinuous lookout at Neom ski resort

UK studio Zaha Hadid Architects has designed a mountaintop viewpoint as part of the Trojena ski resort at Neom in Saudi Arabia.

The lookout was on display alongside a 330-metre-tall skyscraper also designed by the studio, as part of the Neom stand at the Cityscape conference in Riyadh. Neom also revealed renders of the structure seemingly showing two possible options for the building.

The lookout is set to be built as part of the Trojena ski resort in the north of Saudi Arabia, which is being masterplanned by German studio LAVA architects.

Named the Mountain Observatory, the building will overlook the central lake as part of a district within Trojena named Discover.

Few details of the viewpoint have been made public, but renders show an enclosed space jutting out from the cliffside. Alongside the main space, one version shows an open-air viewing platform, while the other shows a lower, secondary enclosed room.

"A peak panoramic viewpoint showcasing the mountain's natural beauty and providing visitors visual access to the mountain's finest details through innovative technology," said a description on the Neom website.

The viewpoint forms part of Trojena, which is being masterplanned by German studio LAVA architects. It will contain a building topped by ski slopes along with numerous hotels and other attractions that will be designed by studios including UNStudio, Aedas, Mecanoo and Bureau Proberts.

Announced in 2022, the developers of the project intend for it to be fully complete before the region hosts the Asian Winter Games in 2029.

One of the world's largest and most controversial projects, Neom includes a 170-kilometre-long city called The Line, which has been criticised on liveability, sustainability and human rights grounds.

Human rights group ALQST reported that three people who were evicted from the Neom site have been sentenced to death and earlier this year, UN Human Rights Council experts expressed "alarm" over the imminent executions. Saudi Arabia responded to the UN by denying abuses had taken place.

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