The inaugural prize for 2025 was won by EAST ARCHITECTURE STUDIO for their proposal titled ON WEAVING, which was developed in collaboration with AKT II, Rayyane Tabet, and Sweco.

EAST’s winning proposal, On Weaving, takes inspiration from a book of the same name by prominent textile artist, Anni Albers. Their design reflects on theoretical approaches to craft and its inherent potential to create spaces of coexistence.

In their response to the competition brief, which asked for innovative and sustainable designs with a clear focus on the afterlife of the structure beyond the days of the biennale, EAST was able to produce an easily disassembled-then-reassembled musalla which experiments both with new local building materials and construction methods.
In their research, EAST identified that Saudi Arabia is the second largest producer of date palms in the world. They discovered that once the plant has passed its productive life, trees are typically felled, burned or sent to landfill. The team recognized an opportunity to transform the fronds and fibers left by these neglected local trees into a sustainable material for crafting the musalla’s structure and textile cladding—by so creating a prototype for a sustainable future of regional architecture.

The double-sided pedestal is staggering in its ascent and thinning out as it reaches towards the sky. Its form resembles a loom, paying homage to tangible and intangible cultural heritage of weaving traditions and craftsmanship. It is autonomous, but also modular to suggest multiple uses – acting as structure, function, and ornament. The earthy colors that make up the musalla’s exterior are energized with color within the structure’s interior, where natural dyes made from local and regional plants are used to create bright reds, blues, greens and yellows. The musalla’s open courtyard invites visitors to sit, gather or pray, individually or communally.