21 May 2025
LWK + PARTNERS at Saudi Light and Sound (SLS) Summit 2025: Designing the Future of Experience-Led Venues
LWK + PARTNERS was honoured to be part of the Saudi Light and Sound (SLS) Summit 2025, hosted at the Riyadh Front Exhibition & Convention Center. As Saudi Arabia accelerates investment in cultural, entertainment, and hospitality infrastructure, the SLS Summit provided a timely platform to discuss the integration of design, technology, and experience in shaping tomorrow’s venues.
Representing LWK + PARTNERS, Kourosh Salehi, Global Design Principal, joined a panel discussion titled “Beyond the Shell: Designing Saudi Venues for Experience & Function”. The session brought together regional leaders to explore how thoughtful design can elevate operational efficiency and audience engagement in Saudi Arabia’s fast-evolving entertainment ecosystem.
Panel Speakers Included:
+Kourosh Salehi, Global Design Principal, LWK + PARTNERS
+Andreas Lejholm, Head of Specialist Engineering, WSP Middle East
+Olivier Monod du Froideville, CEO & Partner, 360 Experience Group
+Roland Greil, Co-Founder & Design Lead, 360 Degree Collective
+Moderator: Jon Lee, Principal Consultant, Focus Acoustics
The panel tackled the urgent need to design venues that move beyond iconic façades to embrace integrated AV systems, adaptive technology, acoustics, and multi-use flexibility—factors that significantly impact long-term performance and user experience.
Key topics discussed:
+Designing for operational adaptability and immersive experiences
+The balance between aesthetic expression and functional intelligence
+Embedding sustainability, smart systems, and future-proofing from the early design stage
+Rethinking venue design in the context of Vision 2030 and the entertainment sector’s $64 billion transformation
Kourosh contributed insights from LWK + PARTNERS’ work across large-scale cultural and entertainment destinations, emphasising how design must anticipate not only the current needs but also the technological, social, and spatial demands of the future.
The SLS Summit also hosted industry showcases and a rich dialogue among developers, operators, designers, and engineers—driving collaboration and innovation in the Kingdom’s growing creative economy.
As Saudi Arabia continues to redefine itself as a global destination for entertainment, LWK + PARTNERS remains committed to shaping spaces that are intelligent, inclusive, and experience-forward.
