Omrania & Associates (O&A) has completed work on the design development and construction documents of a new four-star hotel in Madinah.

The project, commissioned by Al-Rajhi Real Estate Investment Company, occupies a 2,500 sq m site located some 200 m from the Prophet's Mosque, south of the central area of Madinah.

The development comprises three basement levels, a ground floor, a mezzanine level, a technical floor and 10 typical floors housing 630 guest rooms, with an approximate total built-up area of 40,000 sq m.

The basement levels feature the main kitchen, laundry, storage area, water tanks, and car parking. The ground floor accommodates shopping arcades and the hotel entrance lobby, with the hotel reception area, a multi-purpose hall and the main restaurant located on the mezzanine floor.

The technical floor houses all the services, plant and equipment such as pumps and air-handling units.

Each of the 10 upper floors accommodates 63 guest rooms, comprising king rooms, twin rooms, junior suites and executive suites. The guest room floors overlook the coffee shop, located in the central atrium space of the technical floor. A helipad is located at roof level.

The building's structural system comprises a combination of conventional cast-in-situ columns and beams, and precast, prestressed structural hollowcore floor slab units.

The building is air-conditioned by a chilled water generating plant located on the roof, with the air-handling units housed on the technical floor.

Describing the overall design concept for the interior of the hotel, senior project manager with O&A Philip Willmetts says: "The client requested the general ambience of the hotel's interiors to be Islamic with a soft touch of the Moroccan style, in order to suit the expectations of a wide variety of travellers. In public areas, the floor incorporates a repetitive geometrical pattern, which is consistent with the general Islamic interior design.

"Finishes were selected for durability, in view of the large volume of visitors who are expected to use the hotel during their stay in Madinah."

O&A started work on the project in July last year and completed the design development in March.

The construction of the project, estimated to cost SR90 million ($24 million), is scheduled to begin in August.

O&A is currently designing a corporate headquarters building in Madinah for Taiba Investment and Real Estate Development Company, comprising three storeys above ground and one basement level, which is in the conceptual design phase.

It is also working on the detailed engineering design for the Al-Shaikh Mohammed Bin Ibrahim Mosque in Riyadh for the Arriyadh Development Authority; remodelling/refurbishment of an existing villa in Bahrain to accommodate a health and fitness club; and interior design, landscaping and external works design, as well as engineering design verification/modification for a new five-star hotel in Sana'a, Yemen.

O&A recently completed the detailed design and construction documents for the 4,800 cu m floor area International Energy Forum facility for the Arriyadh Development Authority, which is currently out to tender.