Kinan Mall Ceilings

PenguinCube developed Kinan Malls Ceilings, an artistic spatial installation for Kinan Malls in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in collaboration with lead architectural firm DLR Group. The brief was to create a distinctive intervention within the central atrium of the retail environment, combining sculptural art and sound to transform an everyday circulation space into an engaging destination. The installation needed to respond to the scale and character of the mall while creating a memorable visual and sensory experience for visitors.

PenguinCube approached the project through spatial and industrial design, exploring how form, movement, colour and sound could interact within a large open atrium. The concept uses a network of intertwined pipes that twist, overlap and appear to float through the space. Careful consideration of proportion, structural connections and spatial composition allowed the installation to achieve a sense of lightness despite its substantial physical presence, while integrating naturally within the surrounding architecture.

The resulting installation creates a sculptural canopy of vibrant, intertwined pipes suspended within the atrium. Concealed joints and hidden structural connections maintain the illusion of weightlessness, while an integrated sound installation introduces another sensory layer to the experience. PenguinCube refined the installation on site, addressing structural weight distribution, connection details and visual integration to ensure that the final artwork performed both technically and aesthetically within the completed retail environment.

Operating at the scale of a central mall atrium, Kinan Malls Ceilings demonstrates PenguinCube’s ability to combine spatial communication, experiential design and industrial design within a complex architectural setting. In collaboration with DLR Group, PenguinCube developed and fine-tuned the installation from concept through on-site implementation, resolving technical and visual challenges as part of the process. The completed work transforms the atrium into a distinctive multi-sensory environment, adding a strong artistic identity to the wider retail experience.