2025 Theses Master's

Preserving Saudi’s Modern Heritage: The Case of SOM, Yamasaki, and Transnational Modernism

Al Mater, Shereen

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as we know it today, has a long and culturally rich history. That history has been safeguarded by the Saudi Ministry of Culture since its establishment, starting with the humble beginning of the Antiquity and Museums Agency of 1964. Over the past few years, not only has the Ministry of Culture expanded, but it has also generated new cultural disciplines to include under its governance. What started as a simple agency developed into eleven diverse cultural commissions that one ministry governs. As a result, preservation efforts expanded discipline-wise to render a more holistic image of Saudi Arabia’s cultural heritage.

During the era of the Antiquity and Museum Act of 1972, the focus was primarily on preserving vernacular architecture and archeological sites of importance. However, now that the focus of the Ministry has broadened, preliminary efforts have been extended to preserve the plethora of cultural disciplines that exist in the entirety of the country. This thesis will analyze how current preservation policies and frameworks influence the Modern Heritage of a certain era in Saudi Arabia’s development. The era in reference is often referred to as the Leap, a period of architectural and developmental significance in the history of the country that began in the 1960s and reached its peak in the 70s.

The Leap, which was rendered a leap due to the surge in development following the commercialization of petroleum, birthed monumental Modernism in Saudi Arabia. The significance of that architecture has been historically neglected in books that historicize the Modernist era, despite the unique circumstances that brought it about. This research highlights the significance of transnational Modernism in Saudi Arabia by relaying its petroleum-embedded history. Using the work of SOM and Yamasaki as a basis, this thesis aims to analyze how current preservation policies and initiatives are successful or lacking in their interaction with Modern Heritage, and consequently, the potential benefits and challenges of preserving transnational Modernism.