Genius of a Place: Irqah Hospital book series tells the fascinating story of an abandoned hospital turned into a multidisciplinary art center. Located in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in the capital Riyadh, Irqah Hospital is an iconic building with a mysterious character: standing steadfastly with its imposing marble structure, spacious halls, and expansive exterior, this distinctive building built in the 1980s was meant to serve as a state-of-the-art hospital. Abandoned ever since its construction, the site acquired a mythical aspect in people’s imaginary: enigmatic for some, “haunted” for others, the building left the community bewildered. As part of its efforts to establish cultural assets that promote culture as a way of life, the Ministry of Culture of Saudi Arabia has repurposed Irqah Hospital into an all-inclusive arts and culture center: Irqah Creative Arts Lab (ICAL). Prior to this endeavor, and with the purpose of encapsulating the unique spirit of this building, the Ministry of Culture commissioned five artist photographers and five writers from Saudi Arabi the Arab region, and Europe to capture the soul and memory of Irqah. The result is an astonishing collection of rare images accompanied by a compelling narrative, that take the reader on a visual voyage uncovering the “genius of the place” called Irqah.