ARX Debuts “Novalis 2029” in Saudi Arabia, Merging Heritage Vision with Future Urban Design
Book launch in Diriyah sparks dialogue on sustainable cities, heritage preservation and engineering’s future role in Saudi urban planning
ARX this week presented the speculative-fiction volume “Novalis 2029” by author Michael Schindhelm during a high-profile event held in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia — a symbolic setting that blends the Kingdom’s historic roots with its ambitions for modern urban transformation.
The gathering drew engineering leaders, design experts, royalty and policymakers, underlining rising interest in future-oriented urban and environmental design across the region.
“Novalis 2029” paints a vivid vision of 2029 through the eyes of Maren, an artist working at a forward-thinking engineering firm.
The book explores themes such as repurposing obsolete sites, underground agriculture, energy storage, smart cities, geoengineering and sustainable reconstruction.
By weaving fiction with real-world reflections from leading architects, urban planners and engineers, the work seeks to stimulate debate about how societies can reconcile past legacies with future challenges.
At the event, readers were treated to a live reading of selected passages, followed by a panel discussion featuring senior figures including members of the Diriyah Foundation and the engineering community.
Speakers emphasised that rapid urbanisation, climate change and population growth demand long-term thinking: cities of tomorrow must integrate cultural heritage, sustainability and innovation.
Participants argued that such design philosophy is key to ensuring urban developments honour tradition while meeting modern needs.
The choice of Diriyah as host city — once the birthplace of the Saudi state and now at the centre of heritage-driven revitalisation — added symbolic weight.
Organisers said this location underscored the event’s core message: that future-oriented infrastructure and urban design should respect and build on historic identity, not erase it.
The launch of “Novalis 2029” in Saudi Arabia — part of broader efforts by ARX to foster global dialogue on design, sustainability and urban development — arrives at a pivotal moment for the Kingdom.
As Saudi megaprojects such as NEOM and heritage-restoration initiatives under Vision 2030 progress, the discussions sparked by this event highlight a growing awareness that economic growth must go hand in hand with cultural preservation, ecological responsibility and quality of life.
The evening’s success signals that the conversation about how to build the cities of tomorrow — informed by the lessons of yesterday — is underway in earnest across the Kingdom.
The gathering drew engineering leaders, design experts, royalty and policymakers, underlining rising interest in future-oriented urban and environmental design across the region.
“Novalis 2029” paints a vivid vision of 2029 through the eyes of Maren, an artist working at a forward-thinking engineering firm.
The book explores themes such as repurposing obsolete sites, underground agriculture, energy storage, smart cities, geoengineering and sustainable reconstruction.
By weaving fiction with real-world reflections from leading architects, urban planners and engineers, the work seeks to stimulate debate about how societies can reconcile past legacies with future challenges.
At the event, readers were treated to a live reading of selected passages, followed by a panel discussion featuring senior figures including members of the Diriyah Foundation and the engineering community.
Speakers emphasised that rapid urbanisation, climate change and population growth demand long-term thinking: cities of tomorrow must integrate cultural heritage, sustainability and innovation.
Participants argued that such design philosophy is key to ensuring urban developments honour tradition while meeting modern needs.
The choice of Diriyah as host city — once the birthplace of the Saudi state and now at the centre of heritage-driven revitalisation — added symbolic weight.
Organisers said this location underscored the event’s core message: that future-oriented infrastructure and urban design should respect and build on historic identity, not erase it.
The launch of “Novalis 2029” in Saudi Arabia — part of broader efforts by ARX to foster global dialogue on design, sustainability and urban development — arrives at a pivotal moment for the Kingdom.
As Saudi megaprojects such as NEOM and heritage-restoration initiatives under Vision 2030 progress, the discussions sparked by this event highlight a growing awareness that economic growth must go hand in hand with cultural preservation, ecological responsibility and quality of life.
The evening’s success signals that the conversation about how to build the cities of tomorrow — informed by the lessons of yesterday — is underway in earnest across the Kingdom.
