Documenting The Line: Architects reveal the vision behind the megaproject

The entire world is intrigued by The Line. Including us.

Located on the edge of the Red Sea is NEOM's flagship mega-project, a linear smart city set to stretch 170 kilometres inland that will eventually be called home by nine million residents.

The city, spanning 170 kilometres is planned to be divided into 140 modules, with each module housing 80,000 people and will be 800 metres long. In each module, everything will be accessible within 5 minutes, whilst transit from end-to-end is set to take just 20 minutes.

Central to the Kingdom's Vision 2030, the futuristic city will run on clean energy and have a zero-emission policy, meaning no cars will be permitted in this new mega-city and energy will be harnessed from solar panelling and wind turbines. This will make for a pollution free environment, supporting the growth of organic produce and a healthier environment for the community. AI will also play a pivotal role in the day-to-day running of the city.

Construction of The Line began in the first quarter of 2022, and as of early 2023, Giles Pendleton, Executive Director of The Line and NEOM CEO Nadhmi al-Nasr, confirmed that one fifth of infrastructure had already been completed with further work to be completed by the end of 2023.

In a recently released documentary with the Discovery Channel UK, the talented architects behind the The Line discuss the vision and design of this one-of-a-kind mega-project in the Saudi Arabian desert.

Over forty-five minutes, the documentary with the title 'The Line: Saudi Arabia's City of the Future in Neom', a number of different architects and architecture houses discuss the project and their involvement - and interestingly, this is one of the first occasions where the architects of this incredible futuristic city have spoken about the project in detail, in public.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also speaks in the documentary confirming the ultra-modern urban project is perfectly possible, and critics saying the project is 'too ambitious' will be proven wrong.

Some of the world's most renowned and experienced architects, Thom Mayne, Peter Cook and Reinier de Graaf all weigh in on the exciting project, and their involvement. American, Thom Mayne is the founding architect of Morphosis and he has an eye for sci-fi inspired creations such as 41 Cooper Square in New York.

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Forward thinking, Sir Peter Cook is a British architect is the founding partner of Cook Haffner Architecture Platform and visionary group Archigram. Again, Cook has an eye for futuristic shapes and textures, and is a stalwart in the industry.

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A master of architecture, Dutchman Reinier de Graaf is founding partner at OMA and the designer behind incredible modern creations such as the nhow RAI Hotel in Amsterdam and Holland Green in London. Bringing his unique and edgy design eye to the panel, de Graaf speaks of his involvement in the project during this documentary.

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The insightful documentary showcasing the vision behind NEOM's groundbreaking megaproject, The Line, is now easily accessible for viewing on YouTube, courtesy of the official Discovery Channel YouTube profile.

For those captivated by ambitious and innovative urban developments, this film offers a compelling and fascinating watch. Delving into the intricacies of 'The Line' and the brilliant minds behind its conception, the documentary provides a comprehensive understanding of the project's visionary objectives and the forward-thinking principles driving its development. Whether you are a keen urban planner, an architecture enthusiast, or simply intrigued by remarkable endeavours that shape the future of our cities, this documentary is sure to leave you inspired and informed.

You can watch below, or right here.