Foster + Partners Will Design a New Transportation System in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Following an international competition, Foster + Partners has been awarded a major contract for the design of a comprehensive transit system in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The London-based firm plans to create a series of hubs for rail, bus, ferry, and bicycle travel. After the project is completed, which could be as early as 2020, half of the residents of Jeddah, the second-largest Saudi city, will live within a ten-minute walk of this new state-of-the-art, sustainable network.

The hubs will serve as more than a means for transportation. Inspired by the narrow, shaded streets of Jeddah's ancient city center, Foster + Partners has designed an elevated rail system that will run above a series of public spaces, providing shade from the region's intense sunlight. The firm hopes that these hubs will spur development in many neighborhoods.

Foster + Partners, which is known for such projects as London’s 30 St. Mary Axe (informally called the Gherkin) and the Hong Kong International Airport, is already active in Saudi Arabia. It recently created stations for the Haramain High Speed Rail, an intercity system scheduled to launch later this year.

For more information, visit fosterandpartnerom.