Attache Introduces a Burst of Colour to Riyadh's Diplomatic Quarter

Cultural venue Attache explores how architecture can mediate between memory, material, and programme within a changing urban landscape. Located in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter, the space occupies a former equestrian facility spanning 18,000 m² of desert terrain. The site includes stables, an administration block, and several smaller service buildings. Constructed in the 1990s, these structures reflect central Najd architecture with triangulated windows, stepped parapets, and local stone, while a palette of pinks and yellows introduces an unexpected vibrancy.

For decades, public cultural gatherings in Saudi Arabia were highly restricted, confining music and performance to private spaces. By the late 2010s, social and economic reforms encouraged new forms of public engagement and creative expression. Following these developments, Bricklab, led by brothers Abdulrahman and Turki Gazzaz, was commissioned to design one of the first permanent venues for the organisers.

Bricklab’s interventions focus on three main additions across the site. The 500 m² administration building was restored and expanded to house a restaurant and lounge. The 1,000 m² stable was reinforced and converted into a music venue. A 250 m² structure was added for members and VIP guests. Each addition introduces steel forms in bright colours drawn from the RGB spectrum. Tubular components with articulated welds define both structural and expressive qualities, enlarging interior spaces and creating shaded outdoor terraces.

“The architectural approach to the project is a meditation on preservation and renewal," Turki Gazzaz, co-founder of Bricklab, tells SceneHome. "We wanted the new interventions to converse with the existing buildings rather than overshadow them.”

The surrounding landscape, designed by Libani, engages with the desert context. A series of green islands is scattered across sand, stone, and pebbles, creating points of pause and guiding circulation. The composition draws subtly from the Wadi Hanifa ecosystem, allowing the landscape to complement the architecture.

“By celebrating the poetics of memory and adopting a conscious approach towards material resourcing, this project demonstrates the advantages of rehabilitation and adaptive reuse in shaping our urban environment,” Abdulrahman Gazzaz, Turki’s brother and co-founder of Bricklab, adds.

Inside, interiors continue the language of colour and material contrast while preserving elements of the equestrian past. Visitors move through halls, rooms, and corridors, encountering atmospheres suited to different social interactions. The spatial progression encourages exploration and quiet moments of pause, allowing the building to support multiple programmes within a coherent architectural framework.