Mirrored walls
9,740 glass panels.
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A concert and events hall in the Ashar Valley north of AlUla, its outer walls clad entirely in mirrors that reflect the surrounding sandstone cliffs, so the building seems to vanish into the landscape and then reappear. Hence its name: Maraya, «mirrors» in Arabic. Its facades carry 9,740 reflective glass panels, and in December 2019 Guinness World Records named it the largest mirrored building in the world. It was designed by Giò Forma Studio with Black Engineering to host concerts for the Winter at Tantora festival, first held in 2018. Inside is a 500-seat auditorium that has hosted international stars such as Andrea Bocelli, Alicia Keys and John Legend, as well as leading Arab musicians. The official site says there is currently no access to the inside, so the mirrored facades are seen from outside. Late afternoon and the hour before sunset are best, when the cliffs' colours glow in the glass.
9,740 glass panels.
Cliffs in the glass.
500 seats.
Ashar Valley, north of AlUla
The official site says there is currently no access to the inside, so the mirrored facades are seen from outside.