GENERAL AUDITING BUREAU

PLENARY THEATRE, RIYADH

The General Auditing Bureau (GAB) of Saudi Arabia is responsible for the financial discipline and efficiency performance of the government agencies and monitors the transfer of funds to ensure transparency and right governance. 

The GAB required an upgrade to their auditorium for visiting international dignitaries and government officials, and requested Saber provide a concept design for a new 600-seat Plenary Theatre. The brief was to create a world-class Plenary Theatre that was modern in look and feel yet retained its sense of class and somehow symbolize the attention to detail the GAB is renowned for. 

Saber chose to implement a “honeycomb” design for the interior, with hexagonal conjectures comprising the majority of the interior. The advantage of this approach enables the timber paneling to be cost effective in construction as matching patterned quantities can be produced at scale and easily assembled on site. As they are offset from the wall structure, the honeycombs also provide optimal acoustic conditions and opportunities for elegant architectural lighting.

The technology in the GAB Plenary Theatre will be state-of-the-art with a large LED video wall acting as the upstage crossover, and broadcast-grade video conferencing technology enabling real-time international dialogue.