King's Cross Redevelopment
Related Argent has led the long-term transformation of King’s Cross, converting 67 acres of former industrial land into a major new central London district, now home to institutions including Central Saint Martins and Google.
Over this period, I supported Argent on a series of strategic advisory projects focused on placemaking, activation and long-term market and commercial options.
This included research and development work exploring the potential future use of Gas Holder No. 8 – the largest of the site’s restored industrial structures – assessing venue, cultural and event-led opportunities within the broader masterplan.
I also advised on the redevelopment of Coal Drops Yard, designed by Thomas Heatherwick, examining how the architecture and its infrastructure could be designed to support a range of activations beyond commercial tenants – from fashion shows, markets and large-scale activations and more. The aim was to ensure the building’s services and spatial configuration were aligned with longer-term ambitions to attract luxury, fashion and high-end brands before construction began.
Coal Drops Yard.
Gas Holder No. 8.
Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is one of the United Kingdom’s most internationally recognised cultural events – a globally televised spectacle combining military precision, music and state-level ceremony.
I was appointed to work with the Tattoo its senior stakeholders and partners to explore and lead the creative development of new formats suitable for potential international presentation.
Extending a nationally symbolic institution into overseas environments required careful consideration of cultural diplomacy, host-nation sensitivities and the preservation of artistic and cultural integrity.
The work operated at the intersection of creativity, protocol and international partnership.
Photo: xlibber, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Events in Space
It was inevitable. Events, marketing and tourism are beginning to extend beyond Earth.
Weightless performances have already happened. Media stunts too. Now brands are exploring what meaningful presence in space might look like – beyond spectacle.
Most of these conversations are confidential. But I’m increasingly asked to help translate ambition into something real – concepts that are creatively compelling, technically viable and commercially grounded.
If you’re considering activity off-planet, let’s talk. I can still (for now) be found on Earth.
Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale
As senior advisor and the executive producer, and part of the original senior management team at the Diriyah Biennale Foundation in Saudi Arabia, we developed, designed and delivered the country’s first ever contemporary art biennale.
The Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale in Diriyah, Riyadh, hosted in the JAX District, is an international showcase and celebration of contemporary art, featuring artists from around the world.
Spanning approximately 20,000 square meters, the Biennale assumes a critical role in nurturing creative expression and instilling an appreciation for culture and the arts and their transformative potential.
These Biennales showcase some of the world’s leading artists and drive cultural exchange between the Kingdom and international communities.
Find out more about the at the Diriyah Biennale Foundation’s website.
Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2026, 'In Interludes and Transitions'
drawing from a colloquial phrase invoking the cycles of encampments and journeys in nomadic communities in the Arabian Peninsula, taking as a point of departure the movements, migrations, and transformations that continue to connect the Gulf region with the world.
This Biennale produced by Diriyah Biennale Foundation with its curation led by co-artistic directors Nora Razian and Sabih Ahmed is conceived as a choreography in which histories, ancestors, dreams, and premonitions move together through song, stories, dance, and whirlwinds.
Find out more at the Diriyah Biennale Foundation website.
Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2026 - In Interludes and Transitions. Petrit Halilaj, ‘Very volcanic over this green feather’ (2021). Photo by Alessandro Brasile, courtesy of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation.
Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2026 - In Interludes and Transitions. Pio Abad, ‘Vanwa’ (2023/2026). Courtesy of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation.
Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2026 - In Interludes and Transitions. Nour Mobarak, ‘Dafne Phono’ (2024). Courtesy of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation.
Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2026 - In Interludes and Transitions. Shadia Alem, ‘Transformation – Jinniyat Lar’ (1996/2026). Photo by Alessandro Brasile, courtesy of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation.
Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2026 - In Interludes and Transitions. Faisal Samra ‘Immortal Moment III (Post Shock Creatures 02)’ (2026). Nolan Oswald Dennis ‘Black Liberation Zodiac (whale mouth solidarities)’ 2025. Photo by Alessandro Brasile, courtesy of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation.
Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2026 - In Interludes and Transitions. Théo Mercier, ‘House of Eternity’ (2026). Photo by Alessandro Brasile, courtesy of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation.
Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2024, 'After Rain'
Titled ‘After Rain’ the second edition of the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale opened up a moment of revitalisation and renewal, presenting a Biennale as a nurturing entity, filled with life, while acknowledging the necessity of water for all forms of life that dwell and seek shelter on our planet.
Produced by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation with its curation led by Artistic Director Ute Meta Bauer, this Biennale presented works that engaged with the human-nature continuum, examined the built environment, observed the state of our surrounding landscapes, recounted histories, and encouragedus to listen more closely.
Find out more at the Diriyah Biennale Foundation’s website.
Marjetica Potrč, Acre Palafita with Infrastructure (2024). Exhibition view: Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2024: After Rain (20 February–24 May 2024). Photo by Marco Cappelletti, courtesy of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation.
After Rain, Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2024, Martha Atienza, Equation of State (2019/2024). Photo by Marco Cappelletti, courtesy of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation.
After Rain, Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2024, El Anatsui, Logoligi Logarithm (2019). Photo by Marco Cappelletti, courtesy of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation.
After Rain, Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2024, Sopheap Pich, Rang Phnom Flower (2015). Photo by Marco Cappelletti, courtesy of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation.
After Rain, Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2024, Alia Farid, In Lieu of What Was (2019). Chibayish (2022). Chibayish (2023). Photo by Marco Cappelletti, courtesy of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation.
Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2021/2, 'Feeling the Stones'
‘Feeling the Stones’ was the title of the inaugural Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale.
It’s title drawn from a saying that emerged during the 1980s as a metaphor for action at a time of social and economic transformation, ‘crossing the river by feeling the stones’, which encapsulates considered progress – transformation through intelligent actions, echoing the Diriyah Biennale Foundation’s core mission of empowering artistic spirit as a force for meaningful change.
Produced by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation with its curation led by Artistic Director Philip Tinari, this Biennale’s theme was a metaphorical journey through the nuances of artistic production and ideas that, just like social reform, saw art as a process – incremental, tentative, and, ultimately, directed improvisation.
Find out more at the Diriyah Biennale Foundation’s website.
Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2021/2 - 'Feeling the Stones'. Will Glendinning at the Opening Ceremony in front of Richard Long's 'Red Earth Circle' (1989/2021).
Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2021/2 - 'Feeling the Stones'. Photo courtesy of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation.
Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2021/2 - 'Feeling the Stones'. Photo courtesy of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation.
Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2021/2 - 'Feeling the Stones'. Photo courtesy of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation.
Islamic Arts Biennale
As senior advisor and the executive producer, and part of the original senior management team at the Diriyah Biennale Foundation in Saudi Arabia, we developed, designed and delivered the first ever Islamic Arts Biennale.
The Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah is the world’s first biennale dedicated to Islamic arts and culture. At over 60,000 square meters – it is also one of the largest Biennales too.
Juxtaposing contemporary art with historical objects, the Biennale has quickly become – in just two editions, in 2023 and 2025 – one of the most critically acclaimed and visited Biennales in the world.
Find out more about the at the Diriyah Biennale Foundation’s website.
Islamic Arts Biennale 2025, 'And All That Is In Between'
The second edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale was titled ‘And All That is In Between’ – from the phrase “And God created the Heavens and the Earth and all that is in between.”
The 2025 Islamic Arts Biennale drew inspiration from that verse, exploring how faith is lived, expressed and celebrated. It spanned five exhibition halls and the vast outdoor spaces – presenting over 600 historical object and contemporary artworks.
The Biennale has become a global hub for Islamic arts and culture, showcasing treasures from prestigious worldwide institutions.
Find out more at the Diriyah Biennale Foundation website.
The Kiswa on display at the Islamic Arts Biennale. Part of the AlBidayah component of the 2025 Islamic Arts Biennale. Photo by Marco Cappelletti, courtesy of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation.
Installation view of the AlMadar component of the 2025 Islamic Arts Biennale. Top: Timo Nasseri, Echoes of the Skies (2025). Photo by Marco Cappelletti, courtesy of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation.
View of the AlMidhallah exhibition component, the outdoor exhibition spaces, at the Islamic Arts Biennale 2025. Photo by Marco Cappelletti, courtesy of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation.
Installation view of the AlBidayah component of the 2025 Islamic Arts Biennale. Arcangelo Sassolino, Memory of Becoming (2024). Photo by Marco Cappelletti, courtesy of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation.
Islamic Arts Biennale 2023, 'Awwal Bait'
The inaugural edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale in 2023 was titled ‘Awwal Bait’ (‘First House’) and explored the timeless rituals that define Islam. Rituals about movement, sound, and invisible lines of direction.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, custodian of the two holy mosques is the spiritual focus for Muslims across the world.
This Islamic Arts Biennale is situated at the gateway to Makkah, in the historic Hajj Terminal in Jeddah. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in 1981 and recipient of the 1983 Aga Khan Award for Architecture, each year this prestigious building welcomes millions of pilgrims making their way to the Ka’bah.
The Biennale brought historical works into dialogue with contemporary artworks by both Muslim artists and others whose work resonated with or echoed Islamic ritual and tradition.
Find out more at the Diriyah Biennale Foundation’s website.
The Kaaba door - the door to Awwal Bait at the 2023 Islamic Arts Biennale. Photo by Marco Cappelletti, courtesy of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation.
Haroon Gunn-Salie's installation 'Amongst Men' at the 2023 Islamic Arts Biennale. Photo by Marco Cappelletti, courtesy of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation.
Basmah Felemban 'Wave Catcher' at the 2023 Islamic Arts Biennale. Photo courtesy of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation.
