Foster + Partners has released renderings of Shurayah, a tourism concept conceptualized alongside His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who also chairs the Red Sea Development Company. As part of the Coral Bloom project, Shurayah will be designed to organically blend in with the pristine nature of the environment and provide a regenerative tourism experience. “Our vision for Shurayrah is inspired by the island’s natural state, with the hotels designed to give the impression that they have washed up on the beaches and nestled among the dunes almost like driftwood,” says Gerard Evenden, head of studio at Foster + Partners. “The materials we are using are low impact and ensure that the pristine environment is protected, while the additions we will make to the island serve to enhance what is already there—hence the name, Coral Bloom.”
With preservation and biodiversity at the heart of the project, Shurayah will comprise 11 hotels that support COVID-19 protocols with ample space, while also highlighting the island’s natural mangroves and other habitats. The dolphin-shaped island will feature a new lagoon and beaches that elevate the level of the land to provide a protective layer from rising sea levels. Each of the low-rise resort facilities will be constructed from lightweight materials with low thermal mass, and manufactured offsite to further diminish impact to the local environment. Renewable energy will power the facilities as well, underpinned by the largest battery storage system in the world.
