Al Faisaliah Centre
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

HEIGHT: 267m/876 feet
FLOORS: 30 floors
COMPLETION: 2000
ARCHITECT: Foster and Partners

The Al Faisaliah Complex in Riyadh plays a key part in the city's urban development. The 240,000-square-metre complex includes Saudi Arabia's first skyscraper - a distinctive 267-metre-high office tower - a five-star hotel, a banqueting and conference centre, luxury apartments and a three-storey retail mall. The scheme carefully balances cost-effectiveness, flexibility and architectural interest to produce buildings which are efficient in services, planning and operation, easily maintained and responsive to the Middle Eastern climate.

The office tower is square in plan, designed around a compact central core, and tapers to a point, with four main corner columns defining its unique silhouette. Observation decks at stages up the building correspond with giant K-braces, which transfer loads to the corner columns. The building is clad in silver-anodized aluminum panels with cantilevered sun shading devices which minimize glare, allowing the use of non-reflective, energy-efficient glass. These layered facades provide maximum control over the internal environment.

Above its thirty floors of office space, the tower houses the highest restaurant in Saudi Arabia, set within a golden glass sphere 200 metres above ground level. The observation deck below the globe provides a breathtaking panorama of Riyadh and the surrounding landscape. At its pinnacle, the tower narrows to a brightly lit lantern, topped by a stainless-steel finial.

The tower is set back from the King Fahd Highway to create a landscaped plaza. Beneath this is a banqueting hall which can accommodate activities ranging from Islamic wedding ceremonies for up to 2,000 people to conferences for up to 3,400. A high degree of flexibility is achieved by a unique long-span arch system, which provides a column-free space 57 metres wide and 81 metres long, with a moveable partition system that can divide the hall into a maximum of sixteen separate rooms.

A five-storey lobby at the tower's base forms a link between the hotel to the north and the apartments and shopping mall to the south. A spectacular coloured-glass wall in the lobby by the artist Brian Clarke has a desert theme interspersed with images representing natural regional and environmental features.

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oo I like it. 9/10

8.5/10

AMAZING!
I would have liked if it was a bit taller or if its facade had more reflectivity. There was a documentary on it and it seems that golden ball on top wasnt part of the original plan, but was added once construction had progressed..to the chagrin of the engineers.

Love it, it's a good attempt at mixing modern style with Saudi Arabian culture. The curving shape is good, but what really makes it stand out is it's golden globe.

9.5/10

don't really care for this one, looks like something out of an amusement park...876 feet and only 30 stories..?? ..come on, something like this would never fly in the US because it wouldn't be economically feasible..waste of space ..i'll be nice..5/10

I do not like the top , it's like it's missing something

Well it certainly is unique. I would give it a 7 for originality I suppose.

great design but not as good as the Kingdom Centre.

8.5/10

7/10 - This one is so different from anything I'm used to that it's hard to "wrap my eyes around it", and get an overall impression.
It's got good, slim, soaring height, and it's really impressive at night, otherwise I'd have given it a 3 or 4. This is the first time where I've been tempted to give extra points because of something not directly related to the building itself - are they actually shooting fireworks out of it???!!! :eek2: :eek2:
If so, what does the local Fire Marshall think about it?? :?
I've read about this architect's "industrial" facades, and I'm not sure I really like them - I'm reminded of Tom Wolfe's scathing comparisions of modernist buildings to "insecticide refineries" and "mimeograph replacement parts wholesale distribution warehouses." (From Bauahus to Our House) Even the curve doesn't seem quite harmonious to my eyes... Anybody know how much this design was influenced by Saudi traditions?
Bobdreamz, I have a feeling the sections behind the triangular bracings are just one story each, and of course that business at the top doesn't add any stories, either. Why do I suspect one of the several thousand royal princes was able to override economics because he liked the idea?....

Liz L you are probably right about one of the royal princes overlooking economics to get this built...the design isn't inherently bad since it resembles the Transamerica pyramid in shape except for the curving of course but they did so much more in SF....and yes those are fireworks.... I saw a documentary where this building was featured & there were literally hundreds of members of the royal family in attendence.

nope. . . looks like they drew this design from a middle schooler . .4/10

nice, love it i like the shape and the little ball at the top. 10/10

but http://www.starnetint.com/Images/Projects/Full/2736a.jpgthis pics sorta spoils the beauty..

The rainbow lighting makes me a little nauseous. Gross. But the tower is pretty cool. The globe was a last-minute addition...had they not added it, I'd give this tower a 6.5/10. BUT, since it's there, I'll go with 8.5/10. Lovin' the golden globe. :D

I like it, it's unique and I especially like the golden sphere near the summit: 8.5/10

Doesn't even look like a skyscraper.....

Can you say FREAK? 3.0 or less is my vote......I give it a 0! No joke. I wouldn't put this thing in Atlanta or any other American city ever!!! Disgusting...looks like a Christmas ornament.

Ouwwwh, pointy top, an enclosed globe, diagonal trusses, curvy bits, pretty neons 'n lights and even fireworks.

A kind 8 (ain't i mean?)

BTW Which came first: the chicken or the.......derrrrrrrrr?..........Tokyo Bay's Millennium Tower concept (also a Foster & Partners):

......................http://www.skyscrapers.com/files/transfer/5/2000/08/110823.jpg

Reminds of those nasty Vedic Learning Center proposals/jokes.

And what is with the plethora of cheater buildings in Saudi Arabia? Apparently a place where ego is so powerful, that it motivates developers to find creatively legal ways to break the law (the law of the hieght limits there). I don't know what kind of score I can give to a building which aspires to such dishonor. Plus, I really don't care for a skyscraper that quite obviously resembles a nuclear warhead. Is that some sort of implied threat to the rest of the World or something?

3.0/10

It's only part ego. There is a law that says there aren't to be more than something like thirty floors of office space. So they add hotels and push it as high as they can with decorative stuff like parabolic holes and gold spheres.

IMO, the end does justify the means. I see this as a more refined version of the Shanghai-Tinkertoy style that's all the rage in Asia right now.

8.5/10

wonderful! i like the night pix

beautiful design and unique. nice shining colours at night. i would give it 9 out of 10.

6/10

Creative, but I don't like it.

8.5/10. Not your typical scraper. I bet it looks great in person. Innovative design.

Not bad. A bit tacky what with the 'add ons' and all.

6

It's kind of ugly, but cool in its own way. It is also quite unique.

I gave it a seven.

When I 1st saw it I was like :wtf: and :eek: at the same time. It looks very weird. I dont know if I should call it ugly or cool. Im confused. Maybe if it had a different color and not so much design on it. But I like it! hmmmmmmmmmm..... Ill give it a 7.5. :D

Not my favorite building.The top is a bit weak to me.Still a 6.5

Foster obviously saw his chance to finally build a church tower (minus the nave) and so he did! :D

I don't like the shape at all, it seems week and wobbly. The golden ball near the top is a gimmick, although a nice one.

4.

i hate it, lol, why is there a freakin disco ball in the top? i gave it a 1

i like it.... but not that much to give it more than 6.5

0/10

Could this be... the ugliest building in the world?

Gross at day, a teeth-wrecking candy at night.

It's really impressive how they built that goldern sphere thing.. Discovery channel had a programme on it's construction.. But it's all about ego really anyway... :)

8/10

5/10 In its attempt to be interesting it has become the exact opposite IMO.

7.5/10...I like the end product taking into consideration that Foster was tied down and was only to build 30 stories and maximized the height of the building as much as possible. In the day it looks decent, but at night I love it!

Originally posted by Westin Peachtree

Doesn't even look like a skyscraper.....

Can you say FREAK? 3.0 or less is my vote......I give it a 0! No joke. I wouldn't put this thing in Atlanta or any other American city ever!!! Disgusting...looks like a Christmas ornament.

lol, agreed

5/10 is it christmas time in Riyadh? this thing is ugly. but very Foster-ish. weird and radical. did i say this thing is ugly?

I think this one is ugly, and it has only got 30 floors!! A 267 meter tall skyscraper with only 30 floors!!! Amazing!! The Trump World Tower in NYC is 262 meters tall and has got 72 floors! OMG...but it gets one pluspoint for it's uniqueness. 5/10

2/10

interesting weird strange ugly 4

Extremely ugly
0/10

8.5/10 :)
Interesting shape, and the building looks wonderful lit up at at night. For a 267 metre tall building, I thought it would have more than 30 floors though.

9/10



An icon.

4/10

6.5/10
Don't like the design so much looks like a skinny tent but very beautiful at night with all the nice colours.

The choice of color for the ball spoils it a bit. Anyway, 8.5/10! Shape overall is :cool:

The colors is realy bad, especally at the day, but the design and the shape is very good, and it s very interesting Skyscraper. 7/10

It is a madness, the building is original, vibrant ,but is very artificial 7/10

8.5/10

6/10

Like others, I was confused and intrigued at the same time. yes its tacky, but I've seen worse. Not very efficient, and does not fit in the location. May have a lot of height, but doesnt feel like a Tall to me.

this is one of the buildings i don't like! so i give it 4!

7/10
Interesting design. A bit contrived though, and it doesn't look at all sturdy.

Not something I see history looking back on and calling an achivement in architecture any time soon...interesting nonetheless...but only as in the same sense a car accident is interesting, you know you shouldn't look, but you just have to

4/10

Not something I see history looking back on and calling an achivement in architecture any time soon...interesting nonetheless...but only as in the same sense a car accident is interesting, you know you shouldn't look, but you just have to

4/10

^

:rofl:

3 or less

such a travesty from someone whom i consider i highly overrated architect. while the shape may be "interesting", the facade is incredibly bland.

lets not forget that ball at the top, which makes it worse.

Very interesting. Oh yeah it's perfect!! 10/10

Oh, very original conception of this building and nice light effects in night, it deserves 8.5/10 :eat:

Very werid, very different. 7.5/10

7.5

In many cities, this would be considered an eyesore. But for Saudi Arabia, it seems to fit. I dig the sphere here but the space just above it needs to be cleared out.

:sleepy: 7/10 for being so disinguished, I had to stare at it for a long time to see what was actually going on.

What that (golden) ball doing there? 5/10

More photos

http://usera.imagecave.com/majed81/20.jpg http://usera.imagecave.com/majed81/18.jpg

http://usera.imagecave.com/majed81/221747.jpg

http://www.alfaisaliahhotel.com/i/photos/dine5-1.jpg http://www.alfaisaliahhotel.com/i/photos/dine4-1.jpg

http://www.alfaisaliahhotel.com/i/photos/dine1-1.jpg http://www.alfaisaliahhotel.com/i/photos/dine2-1.jpg

http://www.alfaisaliahhotel.com/i/photos/globe1.jpg

Its different. I like difference.

8.5

／( ^｡^)／ GOOD ＼(^｡^)＼

i would like to see a building like that in Perth! :D

3/10
really Arabian Style!
ugly and pathetic with the carnival colors!

8/10

amazin 10/10

8.5/10.

9/10

That is one cool skyscraper, 9/10

Good building, bad location. They should have built this one in Dubai or elsewhere. I give it a 7.5/10.

Magnifiscent tower, the globe at the top is especially nice, 9.5

Nice, especially at night. I watched a programme about the construction about this tower 9

stunning
9.5/10
+ i think every one here has seen that doc LOL
i saw it in camboida on a priate cable TV channel while staying at hostel

Very original ^^
And quite good-looking, although it doesn't exactly look like an office tower ;-)
The lighting is great, but, erm, maybe a little bit too tacky ^^
7.5

Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!! 10/10

Awful, especially the top mirror-ball-kind-of-part... 4.5/10

8.5/10

0.

5/10

I don't like lit.Looks like something from space.

not too bad, but not my favourite type of style. 7/10

One of my favorite skyscraper, I remember watching it's completion in DIscovery Channel back when I was in the Philippines.

Really original design, but not very nice... 7/10

8/10

8/10. Great building but for some reason I don't like the design as much as I should be. The Kingdom Centre is attracting more attention though.

What's that ball doing up there?? strange top but overall it's a really cool bulding. 8/10

6/10

NIce tower, slender, just incredible. 9.0
But why do they have a floor limit of 30 floor in Riyadh :s :s

10/10

A very unique design and it works well. 8.5/10.

oh very nice thing like it 9.5/10

unique design but i think its a tad tacky. Looks worse all lit up. 6/10

love it.
so original.
8.5/10

awesome but The Kingdom Centre looks better
10 for this one

7.0 Except for the ball nothing really grabs me.

Singular building, 8.5/10

8/10. It doesnt look like a 876 ft building...

Those night shots are amazing!

just kitsch
3/10

7/10

unique...but looks like its from a lazy design........ 7.5/10

interesting design, 8.5

7.5/10

8.5/10

9/10. A stunning and truely unique structure. Nice shape, very tidy facade and that magnificant gold ball.

By flaunting Riyadh's height limit it's provided a great example of creating a very tall structure from only 30 floors without the need for a pathetic stick - it has the highest height per floor ratio of any building over 200m (average 8.9m per floor).

8/10

7.5/10

9/10

very beautiful, creative and so unique.10/10

:master: 10/10

Eh, 6.5/10

I'd like it better if it was more glassy and reflective. 9/10

8/10 - I like it, especially at night... but it should had been made higher

that's absolutly gorgeous esp, its top part.

It's a jewel. 9.5

I dont know what to say about this. I think thry had a good consept but screwed it up. 7.5

Nice scraper 9/10

5/10 overdone

Unique tower, but I don't like this one. 6/10.

Unique and simple design in a good way. I don't like empty space on the top of the tower.
9/10

6/10

8/10. The night lighting is great.

I dont like it that much....6.5/10

7.5/10

3/10 I hate the top.

Its very distinctive as it was their first skyscraper, but i think its fugly. real bad
3/10

I only like the sphere of the building. 7/10

9/10

I've enver heard of it before, but it's awesome. LOVE THE LIGHTS.

i don't like the design i prefer the kingdom tower is much better
i ll rate it 5/10

Looks silly, especially in the night shot. 4.5

8,5/10

7/10.........

Love this style 10/10

9/10

wwwoowwww

7/10

very distinctive. Fantasy became reality. Too short though.

looks futuristic but the roof feature is just not my thing 7/10

one of the rare building of foster that i don't like. 5/10

good tower but to few floors for the height of 267m i think. 8/10

9/10

6.5/10 hard to explain

9/10

Original.. 7.1212446/10

9/10

9/10 !

3/10

obviously a playful design. looks fine at night but not quite as good during the day.

8.5/10

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Nice!! 9/10

..

nice ball.10/10 i love this building!

beautiful design and unique. nice shining colours at night 10/10 amazing

9/10 amazing design

8.5/10.

5/10

9.5/10

10/10

Creative, nice colours, awesome night lightning, 9/10

If i would choose it would be a more plain facade.

3 / 10

a failed design in my opinion.

that looks like a mess
4/10

9/10

8.5/10

Is it a joke or something?

4 / 10

10.ellegant!!

10.ellegant!!

yeah right!

that looks like a mess
4/10

that's because it's one. ^^

while this building is unique i have to agree with imani....it is a mess....foster is so good with the human aspect of designing buildings but with asthetics not sooooooo much. The exterior looks like cat sick:puke: 6

9/10

Huh?

3 / 10

very exotic for me but i like it
and this huge golden sphere :)
Aisa is a misterious place
8.5

8/10

AMAZING ...... .....:eek2:

8/10.. if only it's taller..

6/10

8.5/10.

7 - sorry, it dosent do anything for me.

But then again - it does suit the surrounding buildings.

I love its design. 9/10

8/10

9/10

interesting design, nice 9/10

8/10

8/10

Magnificent!

Not bad... 8/10

no doubt...10/10

3/10

4.5/10

10/10.

3,5/10

Greatful!!!

9.5/10

I remember I saw a Discovery Channel program specially dedicated to this building.

Interesting shape and design.

10/10

Well, i like Kingdoms Centre far more than this one, but... in the end it has an interesting structure though...7.5

not the biggest pic but must be wonderful to eat there:

http://www.alfaisaliahhotel.com/i/photos/dine5-1.jpg

I don't like the design. This must be Foster's ugliest design I've seen so far.

4/10.

:crazy: 3

A bit tacky what with the 'add ons' and all.

unique like a christmas tree!!7/10

8/10 thumbs up!!

Strange tower, and I don't like the top. Only 30 floors!

5/10

Foster designed this? It's awful. 4

I like it ;) 8/10

unique and cool. 8.5

8/10

8/10

6/10.

Design is nice, but it's too short for that kind of design. If it was a bit taller, I'd give it an 8.

intersting design 8/10

ball on top is cool...

8/10

8,5/10 The building is amazing, especially with that restaurant in the golden globe. I just hope that the night pictures with all the bizar colours are just because of a festival. A bit less (coloured) light is better.

6/10

7/10

8/10

5/10

8.5/10

Tragedy.

3/10

6/10

10/10

wonderful

7.5/10

seems like its iconic, i rly like it! 9.5/10

8/10

9.5/10

!AMAZING!

Interesting and unique !

8.0/10

8/10

8.5/10 beautiful building

unique and different: 8.5/10
is there an observation deck in the giant orb?

8/10
Nice design. It looks pretty much different from other skyscrapers.

8/10

I just hate that golden ball

7/10.

10. Excellent building. Regards.

dont like d gold ball .. what is that for ?
7.5/10

9/10

6/10

9\10

8/10

10/10

5.5\10

10/10

arabian architecture strikes back :ohno: 1/10

9/10

Very unique and World's Fair pavillion-like. But a massive urbanism failure. 5

9/10

It's a bit strange, but the design shows that some architects aren't afraid to take reasonable risks to make their work stand out. It seems like there should be more than 30 floors though. A nice building nonetheless.

just love it.:)
PERFECT for me.
10/10

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8/10

9/10

9/10

8/10

http://tinypic.com/av1gm

7/10 :okay:

6.5/10

9/10 very unique & interesting design....wouldn't mind it in my city.