Kingdom Centre

In a plethora of growing skyscrapers, this slender, three-petalled wonder with a mysteriously calculated void remained to be one of the pioneer symbols of Riyadh’s futuristic skyline.

Inspired by the growth of folded fronds of a desert plant, the Kingdom Centre is designed in collaboration with Omrania & Associates, Ellerbe Becket, and a team of international consultants. It represents the formation of new life and growth by creating an abstract portrayal of a singular frond eventually separating as it ascends.

The Kingdom Centre is situated at the heart of Riyadh’s high-class Al-Olaya commercial district, occupying an area of around 96,000 sqm. Three primary components form the entire development – a three-level podium, a 300-meter high tower, below-grade parking for 3,200 cars, and various service facilities.

A symmetry of two side wings constitutes the Kingdom Centre’s podium. A three-level shopping mall covering a floor area of 57,000 sqm form the East Podium. Whereas, the West Podium serves as a two-storey high conference and wedding hall for 1,200 people. Covering a total floor area of 4,400 sqm, it is complete with all support facilities such as royal suites, private meeting rooms, specialty restaurants, and sports facilities including tennis courts, squash courts, and an open-air swimming pool.

Given the tower’s mixed-use nature, it called for four different entrances separating its three major uses. At the bottom are 13 floors of office space, a five-storey atrium lobby, and a business center on its 14th floor. Above these offices is the 10-storey Four Seasons Hotel. The entire building is then concluded by the headquarters of the Kingdom Holding Company on the 30th floor, just below its iconic inverted arch.

Topping the Kingdom Centre’s towering form is an inverted catenary arch spanned by a 57-meter long glass-and-steel sky bridge observatory – which immediately became one of the defining sights of Riyadh’s skyline and a popular attraction for tourists and locals. On a clear day, it offers unparalleled views of Riyadh amid a surrounding desert landscape.

Despite the intense demands of both the Kingdom Centre’s mixed-use program paired with Riyadh’s climate, a variety of complex yet seamlessly integrated mechanical and electrical systems maintained its consistent indoor environment.

A sophisticated glass curtain wall wraps the exterior of the Kingdom Centre, specifically engineered with a heat-resistant coating to withstand the region’s typically strong sunlight. In addition, the tapering wings of the petal structures create a naturally aerodynamic shape, reducing desert wind loads due to vortex shedding. A series of notches located at strategic parts also provide sun shading effects on three sides of the building, all the while providing breathtaking views of the sea and the city.

Even more than a decade since its completion in 2002, the Kingdom Centre with its elegantly distinctive form remained to be one of the symbols of Riyadh’s increasingly cosmopolitan skyline – the absence of which virtually impossible to imagine.