A new ‘architectural openness’ is remaking Saudi streets

For years, Haitham al-Madini’s house was like all the others on his block: a beige, nearly windowless facade sealed off from the outside world — as Saudi Arabia itself largely was. But two years ago, confined during a pandemic lockdown, Madini decided to open things up, adding a street-facing patio, redoing the exterior walls in limestone and installing soft lighting in the entryway. Local architects and engineers say such features have become a hallmark of renovation and newly-built projects across the capital Riyadh as Saudis, spurred in part by revised building codes, embrace homes and bus…

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