THE developers of the Al Swailem Tower have set a highly memorable target date for its completion: 11-11-11. And with this target now fast approaching, work is in full swing to create a landmark structure in the heart of the Saudi Arabian capital to house a five-star hotel.

The SR300-million ($80 million) project, being developed by Mohammed Al Soweilem, will offer a built-up area of 52,000 sq m over a 7,500-sq-m site in Olaya near the junction of Tahlia and Mousa Al Nasir Street.

The main contractor on the project – Saudi Lebanese Tarouk Contracting Company (SLTC) – started work on the development in 2009 and is on target to complete it on schedule. Khatib Al Alami is the consultant and Saudi Projacs is the construction manager on the project.

Structural work on the project has been completed, with the tower rising above a 1.7-m-deep raft foundation, and the podium and parking areas sitting on isolated footings.

“Currently, we are involved in the finishing works, while fit-outs such as the furniture is being installed and mechanical and electrical services are being commissioned,” says Fadi Kassouf, SLTC general manager.

Work on the façade of the tower is expected to be completed in August.

The building comprises three parts: The tower which has 28 upper floors, a mezzanine level, a ground level, and three basement levels; a podium, which shares the mezzanine, ground, and three basement levels with the tower, being contiguous with it, in addition to having three upper floors; and the parking decks, which occupy the ground and three basement levels.

Once completed, Al Swailem Tower will boast a total of 289 rooms, including 217 king rooms, 20 junior suites, 48 twin rooms, one bridal suite, two presidential suites, and a royal suite. It will also offer many other services to its guests,” says Kassouf.

The hotel housed in the tower will have a reception area, a banquet hall as well as an all-day dining area on the ground floor; a meeting room as well as a steak restaurant and a noodle restaurant on the first floor; a spa on the second floor as well as a cigar lounge on the 26th floor. Other amenities include a women’s club equipped with a Jacuzzi and sauna, swimming pool and gymnasium; a men’s club, with similar facilities as well as a Turkish hammam; and parking facilities for 270 cars. The technical and kitchen areas are located in the basements.

The tower ... rising fast in Riyadh’s commercial hub.

The tower, which has a concave-shaped façade, is dressed in a curtain-wall comprising unitised glazing with aluminium profiles supplied by Napco.

Work on the project was carried out on the fast track, at a cycle of three to four floors per month. Doka formwork systems were utilised to speed up work and a stationery pump was fixed on the building to facilitate pumping of concrete within the congested site in the business district of Riyadh.

“One of the major challenges of the project was its location within the Olaya area, which made access to the site for the construction fleet difficult, particularly during the business hours,” says Kassouf. “We installed a 6-ft safety net extending from the site to ensure the safety of passersby and the traffic in the area surrounding the building.”

In keeping with the requirements of a five-star property, the building uses high-class finishes including a variety of marble and granite from Italy and gypsum board ceiling panels.

Access within the tower is facilitated by seven lifts – three for services and four for passengers. The podium has three lifts.

The hotel has been designed and constructed as a smart building with the installation of highly-specialised solutions of superior quality information technology. It will have a integrated security system, which includes IP CCTV for round-the-clock surveillance, local recording, analysis and licence plate recognition; an addressable fire alarm; access control for protection against unauthorised entry of people and vehicles and covert surveillance; and a building management system (BMS) to control and monitor all electrical and mechanical equipment.

Similarly, its integrated communication system consists of IP public address, which is the latest audio technology for announcements and voice evacuation in the building; IP TV, to facilitate channellised distribution of high-resolution satellite TV programmes; audio visual, to project video and data with audio/music for multipurpose and conference rooms with simultaneous interpretation; IP telephony; and Wi-Fi offering wireless connectivity to the internet.

To enhance the interiors and exteriors and create the desired ambiance, the hotel is fitted with state-of-the-art control, dimming and architectural lighting features.

The BMS connects all electro-mechanical systems including the generator, boiler, fuel tanks, water tanks, pumps, fresh air intake and exhaust fans, fan coil units and electric panels, allowing remote start/stop of all equipment from the system and status, alarm and fault indication of equipment.
Kassouf says the tower is fitted with a comprehensive range of mechanical systems including water supply, sanitary drainage, rain water and surface drainage, fire fighting, water treatment, heating, air-conditioning, ventilation, swimming pool, steam system, compressed air, LP gas, and grey water treatment.

Water & drainage system
The project is supplied domestic cold water from the city water network. Untreated water is stored in a concrete tank in the basement. This tank can hold reserve water for two days. This water is then treated using reverse osmosis (RO) and transferred to another concrete tank for treated water, holding enough reserve for five days in addition to a one-hour fire fighting reserve. The treated water is then cooled by means of a plate heat exchanger fed from the chiller plant and boosted through a booster pump-set to guest rooms in the lower floors. The same booster pump fills a concrete water tank on the roof to supply to the upper floors through another booster pump after passing through another plate heat exchanger. Pressure-reducing valves are installed where required.

The treated water used for drinking purposes is filtered by a RO module and stored in stainless steel water tanks. This is then supplied to the point of use through a booster pump-set and UV (ultraviolet) steriliser sets including sediment and carbon filters and UV lamps.

Domestic hot water is provided by means of multiple sets of central hot water storage tanks for guest rooms, for spa areas and for the main kitchen and laundry. Hose bibs are provided on each parking floor level and on the roof.

The sanitary drainage system for the project has been designed as a two-pipe system. Sewage from water closets (WC) is conveyed by gravity and discharged into the city sewage network. For the levels below the ground floor, sewage is collected and discharged by gravity into a sewage pump pit located on the third basement level.

The Lamar Towers, Jeddah ... another of SLTC’s projects.

Waste water from lavatories and showers is stored in a grey concrete tank located in the third basement. This water is filtered and then lifted to a concrete tank on the roof, from where it is supplied to toilets in guestrooms on all floors using gravity – except for the last two floors, which are fed through booster sets. The filtered water is also stored in an irrigation concrete tank in the third basement for supply to the irrigation network.

Fire-fighting
The fire-fighting system is designed in accordance with the local Saudi code and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), US, requirements. An automatic fire sprinkler network, wet standpipe and dry riser systems have been distributed throughout the hotel. In addition, Siamese connections at the ground floor level and fire hydrants throughout the outside areas have also been provided. All these systems are supplied water from dedicated three fire-fighting pumps provided in the pump room near concrete tanks in the third basement.

Furthermore, automatic water foam and FM200 fire extinguishing systems are provided for hazardous areas and portable fire extinguishers, wherever required. Pressurisation fans are provided on the fire escape stairs.

HVAC system
The hotel is cooled by means of air-cooled chillers located on the lower roof. The system consists mainly of one primary chilled water loop (constant flow) and secondary loops (variable flow, two-way valve). Constant airflow is maintained inside each space by means of fan coil units, ducting and air outlets. The guest rooms are supplied 100 per cent fresh air through air handling units (AHUs). Other systems include liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), steam and compressed air systems.