"Rooted Transience" explores the typology and main aspects of musallas, temporary prayer spaces that can be installed wherever they are needed. The architectural and material practice of these spaces is seen as an adaptable and transitional response to be used in future buildings.

The Diriyah Biennale Foundation presented, for the first time, the AlMusalla Prize 2025 at the Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah in January 2025. The award-winning project "On Weaving", designed by EAST Architecture Studio in collaboration with artist Rayyane Tabet and engineering firm AKT II, houses works by AAU Anastas, Asif Khan, Dabbagh Architects, and Office of Sahel AlHiyari for Architecture.

The rich history of the Abbazia di San Gregorio and the multiple programs it has held since its founding; from church, to abbey, to laboratory, to art restoration center, to exhibition space, becomes a site to showcase part of a structure whose primary intention is to offer a space for prayer and spiritual reflection as well as a place for gathering and knowledge exchange.

"The launch of the AlMusalla architectural prize, marked an important moment for culture in Saudi Arabia, but also an important moment for Islamic Arts globally. It represents, as the wider Islamic Arts Biennale does, a return to the plurality of Islamic Arts—presenting the many forms it includes, in the context of which they were conceived. From the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the historic Andalus, architectural expression has always been a cornerstone of Islamic identity".

His Excellency, Rakan Al Touq, Vice Chairman of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation.

"Venice has long been a crossroads of cultural exchange, making it the perfect setting to delve into how the unexplored architectural typology of a musalla can contribute to the contemporary discourse around sustainable and adaptable architecture. By bringing excerpts from the AlMusalla Prize from Jeddah to Venice, we hope to demonstrate how traditional architectural practices, based on sustainability, impermanence, and flexibility, can generate new ideas and solutions for the future."

Prince Nawaf bin Ayyaf, jury chair of the AlMusalla Prize.

‘Rooted Transience’ is on view in Venice from Saturday May 10 to Sunday November 23, 2025.