The Diriyah Biennale Foundation has revealed the four architecture studios shortlisted for the 2027 AlMusalla Prize, an international competition that commissions the design of a musalla, a space for prayer and contemplation, for the third edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale. Opening on November 1, 2027, at the Western Hajj Terminal in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the Biennale will feature a new prayer structure designed by one of the shortlisted teams: Al-Jawad Pike (United Kingdom), Civil Architecture (Bahrain/Kuwait), MILLIØNS (United States), or NEW SOUTH (France). The winning proposal will be announced in March 2027 and realized as part of the exhibition before being permanently relocated to JAX District in Diriyah.
Launched in 2024, the AlMusalla Prize was established to explore contemporary interpretations of spaces of worship through architecture. Organized by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, the initiative invites architects to design a musalla that responds to both spiritual and social functions while engaging with questions of adaptability, material innovation, and environmental performance. Since its inception, the prize has positioned itself as a platform for architectural experimentation within the broader context of Islamic art and culture.
For the 2027 edition, competitors were asked to develop a single architectural intervention capable of operating in two distinct locations. The musalla will initially be constructed at the Western Hajj Terminal at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, a landmark designed by SOM and recipient of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture. Following the four-month duration of the Biennale, the structure will be dismantled and reassembled at JAX District, an industrial heritage site in Diriyah that has been transformed into a hub for cultural production and creative practices.
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The competition brief required participants to address the differing spatial and environmental conditions of both sites. In Jeddah, the prayer space will occupy an expansive open area beneath the terminal's iconic tensile roof structures, while its permanent setting in Diriyah will place it within a denser urban environment characterized by former industrial warehouses. The challenge called for a design capable of establishing a coherent architectural identity across these contrasting contexts while maintaining the functional requirements of a contemporary prayer space.
The four shortlisted practices represent a range of geographic and disciplinary perspectives. Founded in London in 2014, Al-Jawad Pike is known for its research-led approach and emphasis on material expression and atmosphere. Civil Architecture, based in Bahrain and Kuwait, explores the relationship between architecture, civic life, and contemporary conditions in Southwest Asia through both built work and publications. Los Angeles-based MILLIØNS operates across architecture, exhibitions, furniture, and research, often developing projects informed by historical, cultural, and geographic investigations. NEW SOUTH, led by architect Meriem Chabani and architect-anthropologist John Edom, combines architecture, urbanism, and anthropology in projects that engage questions of heritage, migration, and collective identity.
The shortlisted teams will now advance to the final stage of evaluation, overseen by a jury chaired by Prince Nawaf bin Ayyaf, Chief Executive Officer of Saudi Arabia's Architecture and Design Commission. The jury is expected to include specialists in architectural practice, history, sustainability, and Islamic architecture. Proposals will be assessed according to their architectural quality, responsiveness to the competition brief, and ability to create a meaningful environment for prayer and contemplation. Once inaugurated alongside the third Islamic Arts Biennale in November 2027, the structure will continue its life in Diriyah, where it is intended to serve as a lasting architectural contribution to JAX District and the city's evolving cultural landscape.
In other recent architecture news, several international competitions and institutional projects have announced new selections and winning teams. The Pan-African Biennale (PAB) has revealed the participants for its inaugural edition, scheduled for September 7–11, 2026, at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi. In Panama, following an international competition launched in January 2026, the Museum of Contemporary Art of Panama (MAC Panamá) selected Palma + Taller TO to design its new building. In France, the Ministry of Culture announced the winning team for the "Louvre–Nouvelle Renaissance" renovation of the Musée du Louvre, led by STUDIOS Architecture, Selldorf Architects, and BASE Paysagiste.
