Riches of Riyadh

Dewan's courtyard concept in Al Shegery
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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.

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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.