Riches of Riyadh

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Middle East Architect looks at four Riyadh-based projects adding to the Saudi capital.

Dewan’s courtyard concept in Al Shegery

Al Shegery’s dimensions are 700m x 800m with an area of 535,000m² and a total BUA of 1,337,500m².

The project, which is currently in concept design phase, will contain residential buildings, a 150-room hotel, a preliminary school, a healthcare facility, retail space, a mosque and a health club. The entire complex will be comprised of buildings that range from G+4 to G+8 which increase toward the centre of the project and reduce toward its periphery.

The urban design strategy of the project depends on situating the buildings as vehicle-free clusters to create an atmosphere of the traditional Arabian neighbourhood, which allow for safe and secure interaction between residents.

The public realm is strongly identified by a large mixed use retail area, which includes a massive plaza and ample open space for social interaction. The plaza forms the focal element of the design and distinguishes its role as a district centre. Its identity is supported by public parks, which flank either side of the plaza and give the project a visual balance.

Visual corridors focus on the central plaza and form the basis of the infrastructure network as well. All of the project’s principle roads lead to the open public space. This section is supported by pedestrian walkways linking the primary interaction spaces.

Screening or allowing solar radiation according to season and/or microclimate is an important function of the Arabian courtyard, and Al Shegery’s large scale urban courtyard plays a similar role in this project.

The climate modifying action and airflow pattern of a courtyard allows warmer air to be drawn downward into the courtyard, which is then cooled by tree shade, proper orientation and evaporative cooling from the myriad water features. Cool air then moves horizontally through the courtyard to cool the surrounding residences.

Woods Bagot’s butterflies and biomimicry

Woods Bagot recently released designs for a single building in Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District that is being touted as “an exemplar of the modern workplace”.

The design of the building is borne of a deep understanding of the principles of mathematics and pays homage to the geometric ideals that underpin the Islamic structures of the region.

The shape of the building is derived from a nested and repeated fractal form, which has been designed with Islamic patterns in mind. By following mathematical rigour to create an interlocking and infinite geometric pattern, the design creates a balanced and harmonious building form.

“In developing this iconic form, our inspiration has also been to learn from the immediate context to ensure regional relevance and to address brief requirements,” said a statement from Woods Bagot.

“Bio-mimicry of the structure of the desert butterflies’ wing has been used to inform the skin of the façades which are interpreted to provide solar shading while optimising the view out and incorporating photovoltaics.”

The building was created as a response to what the client felt was a disconnect between its four separate buildings of operation. Woods Bagot addressed the concern by developing an optimum floor plate which creatively reconsidered the central.

In the KSA building, the central core has been replaced with an internal vertical courtyard that visually and physically connects the entire building. The functional requirements of the central core have been split and located in two smaller cores at the east and west ends of the building.

These cores not only provide protection from high heat and solar loads, they are also more structurally efficient. To avoid glare, a light funnel at the top of the atrium harvests sun- light and heliostats bounce light deep into the heart of the building.

A broad range of sustainable initiatives that address energy, water, indoor environmental quality and material use all combine to amass enough sustainability credits to achieve a LEED Platinum rating.

FXFOWLE’s KAFD Parcels

Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) aims to provide a new financial district that integrates business and recreational activities, while creating a new identity for the Saudi urban centre. Programmatic components required space for office, residential, educational, sports, retail and cultural facilities. Although four sites comprise FXFOWLE’s portion of the development, they were considered and designed as a single mixed-use project.

The design of FXFOWLE’s KAFD Parcels proposes a separation between pedestrian walkways, vehicular traffic, and public spaces within each site. The firm’s intent is to create dynamic, visually porous structures, while also drawing attention to three distinct levels of public space.

A wadi bed connects the four buildings, one of which is a Mosque. Enclosed pedestrian skywalks encourage circulation while a monorail system promotes the use of public transportation.

TYPSA’s Center of Islamic Studies & Dialogue of Civilisations

Set within the most updated master plan for the Al Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud University, TYPSA’s Centre of Islamic Studies & Dialogue of Civilizations aims to be an integral part of the university’s spirit and a champion of the Riyadh identity.

Approximately 65,000m², the Centre needed to serve as a landmark because of its distinct location as well as a symbol of architectural and design excellence because of its unique concept. While the concept has only recently been approved, the process came with two specific requirements from the client: a) The Saudi Arabian flag must be the primary reference in developing the building; b) The building and master plan must explicitly represent the five pillars of Islam.

In response to these challenges and in an effort to achieve the client’s vision of the project, TYPSA worked with the design of the KSA flag to reconfigure its geometric rules without changing the meanings and power of its graphic configuration. Hence, the conceptual site was reconstituted by raising the flag scripts facing Mecca and also by subdividing the base that supports this meaning in four different pieces oriented to each local cardinal point.

After the implementation of that key design component, the development of the complex became smoother; introducing the preconceived functional program of 65,000m² (approximately) all around the four lower areas and the tower.

An internal podium-level patio gathers together the users of the 500-seat auditorium and museum as well as visitors to the restaurants and low-rise hotel development at the north. From this point, the tower grows and is activated by the sensation of embracing the social gatherings and cultural activities—which is a main objective of the Centre.