THE iconic King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) is fast becoming a visual reality with more than 45 buildings taking shape over a 160-hectare greenfield in the northeast of Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh.

This is in addition to some of the vast infrastructure that will be required to position it as the financial hub of the economic powerhouse of the region.

Described as the most significant commercial real estate development in Saudi Arabia, the KAFD is being developed at an estimated cost of SR28 billion ($10 billion) and will contain over 3 million sq m of development, on completion. It will house the head offices of Saudi Arabia’s Capital Markets Authority (CMA), the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul), the World Trade Centre, the GCC Central Bank and the Saudi American Bank (Samba) and a host of others.

It also features a striking conference centre, which is expected to see completion shortly. Designed as an extension of the angular desert landscape, the state-of-the-art building will feature a multipurpose event hall with operable walls, a 600-seat auditorium with full lecture and cinema support, and a “digital forum” approach that allows all venues to be internally and externally networked.

The KAFD project is the brainchild of the Saudi Public Pension Agency (PPA), the land owner and prime developer, which has set up the Rayadah Investment Company to bring it to fruition.

Challenges ... the buildings have complex geometry.

Masterplanned by Henning Larsen Architects, the KAFD will boast unique features and a distinctive skyline, which is now being etched into the horizon as construction gains momentum on several landmark developments within the financial district.

Among the striking aspects of the masterplan is the focus on lowering outdoor temperatures in the district – that can touch 50 deg C in the peak of Riyadh’s summer – by up to 5 to 8 deg C by optimising building proportions, utilising the wind, creating shade and using light facade materials, vegetation and water features in the landscape.

The masterplanner is currently overseeing the construction of the landmark development to ensure that the scheme shapes up into a world-class sustainable development.

Key projects that are currently under its supervision include the Villas in the Sky, the Gem Building and Crystal Towers – which are expected to be completed by the year-end. All the three projects are being constructed by Saudi Binladin Group (SBG), and have a common team comprising Thornton Tomasetti as the structural engineer, Hoare Lea Consulting Engineers as the MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) contractor and Geoffrey Barnett Associates the quantity surveyor.

The Villas in the Sky, the Gem Building and Crystal Towers are all designed to achieve a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (Leed) certification upon completion.

The Villas in the Sky tower ... aiming for Leed.

The Villas in the Sky is 34-storey mixed-use tower, which sits in Parcel 2.13 of the prestigious development. The retail component spreads over the first three storeys, which are connected to the Wadi, the ground level and the footbridges (Skywalks), for easy access and convenience of users. The office space is on the next 14 storeys while the top 12 floors house 22 residential units. The development will be served by 14 elevators – 10 for the residential units, two for the retail, and two goods lifts. The building will feature a curtain-wall glass facade with angled panels to allow the use of more transparent glazing oriented towards the ground, while sloping light-coloured cladding provides a shaded interior and reduces the energy consumption of the building.

The mixed-use Gem Building in Parcel 2.10 rises to a height of 15 floors amidst the high-rise buildings in the KAFD. It comprises three separate buildings – a residential block, an office block and a multi-purpose podium with a terrace overlooking the garden – linked to the green pedestrian thoroughfare of the district. A distinctive aspect of the façade is a high-quality metal mesh fabric, which wraps the faceted exterior, providing solar protection and weather resistance to local sandstorms.

The Crystal Towers comprises two towers rising to 18 and 25 storeys respectively. These towers enjoy a distinctive location between the Financial Plaza – the financial centre of the masterplan – and the Wadi. The two towers are connected through a raised podium that allows direct passage between the Financial Plaza and the Wadi, creating a clear and dramatic entrance to the lobbies and providing a shaded outdoor meeting area. The recessed, scaled, crystalline apertures of the towers have been designed to minimise solar heat gain and associated cooling requirements while optimising views to the surrounding plaza and landscape. To root the building in the region and contribute to a sustainable approach, a light local stone cladding with a long lifespan and low maintenance is being used.

The towers will be serviced by 12 elevators. As the two towers have separate lift cores, the building is well-suited to accommodate two flagship tenants and a number of additional tenants, according to Henning Larsen Architects.

Meanwhile, work on the 75-storey CMA Tower, which lies at the centre of the KAFD and will be the tallest skyscraper within the district, is reportedly on track from completion by the end of the year. The iconic tower also being built by SBG.

Among other recent contracts awarded:

• Luxury bathroom fittings specialist Hansgrohe has been selected to equip KAFD with a wide range of products from its Hansgrohe and Axor designer ranges;

• Otis Elevator Company Saudi Arabia has won six contracts to supply and install 263 elevators, including 10 double-deck elevators, and 90 escalators to different buildings in the KAFD. Two of the tallest structures in the district, the KAFD World Trade Centre and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Bank headquarters, the Gulf region’s governing financial institution, will include 25 elevators and eight escalators and 30 elevators and four escalators from the company, respectively;

• Armetal is supplying stainless steel cladding, handrails and glass balustrades, stainless steel bollards, bronze cladding, and stainless steel skirting to the development;

• Saudi Tabreed is supplying district cooling plants with a total capacity of 100,000 tons of refrigeration (TR);

• Al Ashoury Industry has supplied a 128.6-tonne steel structure, which has been mounted on the rooftop of Towers A and B in Parcel 2.07, being carried out by Saudi Constructioneers; Establishment; 1,100 tonnes of cable trays, ladders, trunking and accessories to ETA Star Electro Mechanical Company; a 89-tonne steel structure to Permasteelisa Gartner; and 218 tonnes of cable trays, ladders, trunking and accessories to SBG; and

•  Saudi Preinsulated Pipes Industries (SPPI) has carried out an order worth SR10 million ($2.66 million).