Setting Sail
A futuristic yacht club is taking shape at Amaala, the ulđra-exclusive holiday destination coming up along Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea
Key to Saudi Arabia’s bid to becoming a global tourism hotspot, Amaala is a crown jewel of the eagerly anticipated Red Sea Project, a holistic travel-led development along the Arab kingdom’s west coast. Combining luxury with art, culture and wellness, the year-round destination will be an intriguing mix of heritage and state-of-the-art facilities catering to the well-travelled and the well-heeled who are looking for rare and exceptional experiences.
Powered by renewable energy, once complete, Amaala will be home to more than 3,000 hotel keys across 25 hotels and in the region of 900 residential villas, apartments, and estate homes alongside top-of-the-line retail, Ńne dining and recreational facilities. The focal point of this ambitious project, which is slated to achieve a minimum LEED Gold standard for environmental sustainability, is the 4,155sq/km Triple Bay and its rather futuristic looking yacht club.
“Amaala is one of the flagship Saudi Vision 2030 projects and remains central to the Kingdom’s ambition to become a global tourism leader,” says John Pagano, CEO. “We anticipate that it will be an international hub for luxury yachting, and so, the Triple Bay Yacht Club required an iconic design.”
Envisioned by the internationally renowned architecture studio HKS, the yacht club – that spans 7,900sq/m across four levels – takes its shape from the unique rock formations on the Saudi coastline with its cantilevered terraces echoing the natural shape of the surrounding cliffs, eroded over time by wind and sea.
“We were clear from the outset that we wanted to create a building of its place, with the design drawing inspiration from local landscapes and culture, alongside the nature of the marine lifestyle,” says Dan Flower, design director at HKS and the lead architect for the project. “The team wanted to reimagine the yacht club as a modern concept, a home away from home for nautical enthusiasts from all backgrounds, from leisure to elite sport.”
Set within a billowing arch, the entrance to the club – for guests arriving by land or by water – will form a shaded plaza and frame dramatic views to the Red Sea. The mirrored vaulted ceiling and LED-lit floor are set to casts impressions of a starry night, mimicking the open skies that surround the club. Inside, a sea-meets-land concept runs through the bars, lounges and restaurant with intelligent interpretations of traditional Arabian homes that reveal a calm and conŃdent palette of locally sourced natural materials such as stone, timber, leather and metal. Sweeping curves and artisanal Ńnishes allude to the sun, sand, wind and water.
Complementing the yacht club will be a 10-hectare basin with a 120-berth marina for yachts up to 130m in length. Designed for residents and events, with provisions for deep-water superyachts and fuel docks, it's set to establish Triple Bay as a destination for the global yachting community. amaala.com