‘The Line’ architects break down plans and share insider secrets in documentary
- Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince dismisses people’s skepticism about the project
- ‘The Line’ will be divided into 140 modules
- Each module will be 800 meters long and house 80,000 people
Published on Mar 06, 2024 at 5:23 PM (UTC+4)
by Nalin Rawat
Last updated on Mar 07, 2024 at 8:11 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
The minds behind the groundbreaking Neom City project have finally shared their plans for the construction and design of ‘The Line’.
Notable architects, including Thom Mayne, Peter Cook, and Reinier de Graaf spoke at length about the project for the first time in a 45-minute documentary.
The recent Discovery Channel documentary featured Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and many architects working on ‘The Line’.
READ MORE! Aerial shots show the progress and scale of $1 trillion giga-project ‘The Line’ in Saudi Arabia
The details of the development of the 170-kilometer-long city, have largely been under wraps.
However, the documentary marks the first time the architects involved with the project have spoken about it at large.
“It’s actually a complicated project, but the big idea is incredibly simple”, said Morphosis founder, Mayne, explaining how they developed the concept for ‘The Line’.
The company had submitted an entry to an invited competition to design a new city and won.
Peter Cook, co-founder of Cook Haffner Architecture Platform, the project’s lead designer, also made an appearance in the documentary.
Cook explained how the project builds on his ideas for the Plugin City developed in the 1960s with Archigram.
‘The Line’ is not the only attraction in NEOM City, as there are multiple regions that are part of the project.
According to the architects, the current plan for ‘The Line’ is divided into 140 modules.
Each module will be 800 meters long and house 80,000 people while also being unique and different from other modules.
The first five modules will be developed by different architecture firms picked “from a playing field of 20”.
The documentary featured architects from six studios, including Morphosis, Cook Haffner Architecture Platform, Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, HOK, LAVA, and OMA.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also made an appearance, speaking at length about the project.
He dismissed people’s skepticism about ‘The Line’ project.
“They say a lot of projects in Saudi Arabia can’t be done, they’re too ambitious,” the crown prince said in the documentary.
“They can keep saying that and we can keep proving them wrong.” He added.
‘The Line’ is one of the world’s largest and most controversial projects.
It is an undertaking of a lifetime and if it succeeds, we will get to see the world’s most futuristic city.
Nalin Rawat
Nalin started his career by working with various national newspapers in India. He has also worked as a writer/editor for many popular websites, while still pursuing his journalism and mass communication degree. Working as a digital nomad has allowed him to inform and educate through his work. When he is not writing, you can find him playing video games or travelling the mountains on his bike.
