Landscape design for the Second southern ring road in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia

The landscape design for the Second southern ring road in Riyadh offers a contemporary reinterpretation of the desert environment, integrating infrastructure and nature through a unifying concept: STRATUS. Inspired by the geological reading of the territory, where layered rock formations reveal its history, the project translates this stratified logic into spatial design, creating a coherent and distinctive identity along the entire corridor.

The proposal is structured around three primary landscape systems (Wadi, Berms, and Terraces), each with a specific role yet fully integrated into a continuous composition. The Wadi acts as the backbone of the project, functioning as a green infrastructure that supports biodiversity, enhances stormwater management, and reintroduces the natural logic of drainage lines within the territory.

Terraces reinterpret the traditional mud architecture of Turaif, translating its layered horizontal language and textures into sculpted slopes and urban spaces. Berms, meanwhile, provide a transitional layer between infrastructure and urban areas, using gentle landforms planted with resilient, low-maintenance species adapted to local climatic conditions.

Sustainability is a key driver of the design, with strategies focused on optimizing resources, promoting xerophytic planting, and improving water efficiency through integrated drainage systems. This approach not only reduces irrigation demand but also strengthens the ecological and landscape value of the environment.

At major interchanges, the design reaches its full spatial potential, expanding the Wadi system to create complex and immersive landscapes that transform large-scale infrastructure into new environmental and visual opportunities.

Landscaping