CloseWhere Space Meets a Story!
Al Medina Gateway repositions Al Fahidi as a connected, pedestrian-first urban district—defined by shaded courtyards, revived corridors, and a clear visual identity rooted in Medina’s architectural language. Through a gateway system, redistributed access, and curated investment programs, the project transforms fragmented streets into a coherent public realm that supports commerce, heritage, and everyday life.
The challenge: reclaiming the city from heat, cars, and fragmented public life
Al Fahidi’s existing condition reflects a familiar regional dilemma: neighborhoods shaped primarily for private vehicles, where pedestrian infrastructure becomes secondary and the public realm loses comfort, clarity, and cultural expression. The result is not just mobility friction, but a wider urban cost—isolated internal spaces, underused courtyards, disconnected corridors, and a weakened “first impression” for residents and visitors. Add to that the Kingdom’s rising temperatures and air-quality pressures, and the urgency becomes clear: Medina needs places that are safe to walk, pleasant to linger in, and meaningful enough to become part of daily routines. This is where YAAM strategy is enforced—by starting with people, dignity of movement, and the lived experience of the street before any formal gesture.
Land-use & Program
The social, economic, investment, residential, commercial and historical spaces and activities of the area were divided and planned so that the relationship of these activities to each other was studied and linked in the neighbourhood so that each served the other perfectly and successfully. The interaction between existing buildings and the proposed design was also considered in order to get the best possible outcome.
Accessibility & Circulation
Main entrances and exits have been provided for pedestrians in cyan, total of seven entrances and exits which not allowed for cars to pass, but are only for pedestrians, while there are entrances that traffic can reach, passing through parking lots, and they are colored mauve, total of nine entrances and exits. Vehicles to be parked out and users continue on foot or by using bicycles, scooters, etc. Thus, this will ensure a safe experience for pedestrians inside the site and better crowd distribution at all entrances of the site.
The idea: a gateway system that stitches heritage identity to a modern pedestrian network
The project’s core move is to create a recognizable gateway identity—not as a single monument, but as a sequence of thresholds, plazas, and shaded connectors that guide people through the neighborhood. The aerial plan expresses this clearly: a linear urban “spine” organizes the district, punctuated by gathering nodes and green pockets that act as orientation anchors and social magnets. The elevation studies reinforce the architectural language—arches, framed openings, and unified façade rhythms that visually merge old and new into one coherent street wall, replacing visual chaos with civic order. Movement is intentionally rebalanced: seven pedestrian-only entrances act as safe, car-free gateways into the heart of the district, while nine vehicle-access points are designed to reach edge parking and drop-off zones—then the experience continues on foot (or by bicycle/scooter). This isn’t just circulation planning; it’s a climate and identity strategy—pulling cars out, pushing shade and walkability in, and turning corridors and courtyards into a continuous, legible public realm.
Plazas & Open spaces
These green spaces, areas, and central points are the main gathering points in the project, as some of them are located at the main entrances, at the theatre, and the archaeological area. Work has also been done on the green spaces and landscaping in particular to give the place a psychological and aesthetic character, with attention paid to developing the neighbourhood’s entrances and public squares. Pedestrian paths were also relied upon to move within the neighbourhood and car paths were pushed out.
Proposed spaces & activities
17 different investment opportunities have been provided, including restaurants, cafés, hotels, the popular market, the popular baths, the Haramain Products Market, the gold market, the arts hall, multi-use galleries, and commercial and office buildings, all of which generate significant revenue and positive economic returns for the project, all are spread throughout the neighbourhood, in addition to the active commercial frontage in the residential buildings.
The impact: an economic and social engine built on active edges and shared public space
Al Medina Gateway is not beautification—it’s urban performance. The proposal introduces 17 investment opportunities distributed across the neighborhood to ensure daily activation and long-term economic resilience: restaurants, cafés, hotels, popular markets, baths, Haramain products market, gold market, arts hall, multi-use galleries, and commercial/office programs—woven into residential edges to keep streets alive beyond peak hours. Key green spaces and central points become the district’s primary “living rooms,” located deliberately at major entrances, the theater, and the archaeological area to create a sequence of destinations rather than a single isolated attraction. Landscaping is treated as psychological infrastructure: shade trees, planted buffers, and comfortable seating zones amplify microclimate benefits while strengthening the district’s civic image. With YAAM as the backbone, the project balances heritage continuity + human comfort + economic viability—so the neighborhood becomes a gateway in the truest sense: a place that welcomes, orients, and stays memorable long after the first visit.