MECCA | Abraj Al-Bait | 601m | 1972ft | 95 fl | T/O
 

The Abraj Al Bait Towers is a building complex under construction (Completion 2008) in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It will be the largest (not tallest) building in the world by mass, the tallest building in Saudi Arabia, and one of the tallest buildings in the world at 577 m.

The site of the structure is across the street from the entrance to the Masjid al Haram, which houses the Kaaba, the holiest site in Islam. As a result, the Abraj Al Bait Towers will have a large prayer room capable of holding nearly four thousand worshippers. It will contain a five-star hotel to help accommodate the over two million pilgrims who participate in hajj each year.

In addition, the Abraj Al Bait Towers will have a four-story shopping mall and a parking garage capable of holding over eight hundred vehicles. Residential towers will house permanent residents while two heliports and a conference center are to accommodate business travellers. In total, up to 65,000 people would be housed inside the Towers.

Previous Designs:
http://i13.tinypic.com/433bgoo.jpg
400m?

Old Design (2005):
http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/730/abbbsnv2.jpg
485m.

Now Design (2007):
http://aawsat.com/english/images/200.../O31708309.jpg
577m.





U/C picture from March
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/133/3...d80e7b43_o.jpg
http://img63.imageshack.us/img63/5196/ab2xp6.jpg

Enjoy! :banana:

577m?! Why did they decide to increase it?

Also, the renders don't look like 577m, it looks more like 400ish.

That thing is massive. I understand the symbolism and, I guess, practicality, but that tower is not at all pleasing to the eye.

Also, that angle is very annoying. You can only see like %20 of the complex. Hopefully updates will be from a roof top nearby.

I really do not like the clock being added. I understand why it is there, it just makes it look like an oversized BigBen imo. Otherwise no complaints from me.

We americans took London Bridge and now these people want Big Ben:dead:

I like it, though the clock face is out of place with the rest of the styling and needs a serious redo.

The mass of the complex is the most impressive part.

I think the design looks much better now!

I like it. Too bad i'll never see it in person.

I can imagine there would be a great view from the Kaaba but ever visiting there is even less likely.

It's almost Soviet in its clunkiness, especially the ludicrously overscaled clock tower. But surprisingly the actual construction photos make it look a little better than the renderings.

Between this and what Dubai is doing, I guess I'll never understand the Middle Eastern skyscraper aesthetic - or rather, the aesthetic values of the handful of oil sheiks who push these monstrous developments through with no democratic or governmental oversight and approval. It's almost as if the entire region were filled with Donald Trumps who have free reign to indulge their bad taste.

that is the ugliest thing i've ever seen.

Exactly what I was thinking. Just add a hammer & sickle.

That is an astounding #!

Ugly. The 2005 version was the best. 2004 version is the worst, but this latest version isn't far ahead. Not pleasing to look at, but suppose it serves its purpose.

At first glace it looked like the "New York, New York" complex in Las Vegas with Big Ben thrown in.

Not liking it.

I don't see a problem with it. Its not as if this "Soviet" style of building has a monopoly over design in Russia let alone the world. I say we let cities stray from the American glass tower aesthetic if they want to.

Looks like a mix of the Venetian in Las Vegas and Big Ben.

wow.....................all i can say.

Perhaps I'm taking it wrong, but your comment reminds me of that exchange in the movie Amadeus between Mozart and his rival Salieri, who is fishing for a compliment after the performance of one of his operas:


Mozart: "I never knew music like that was possible."

Salieri: "You flatter me!"

Mozart: "No, no. One hears such sounds and what can one say but... Salieri."

:shrug: How bizarre......just bizarre.

The 2005 design was definitely the best. The enormous clock face doesn't suit this building, at all.

But since none of us who aren't Muslim will ever see this building anyway, it's no big deal. :)

but why only 76 floors for a 577 m. building ??

Actually Saudi Arabia allows western tourists into the country since two years ago. But you have to travel in a group and the annual number of tourist visas is pretty limited. So pretty much the same as with North Korea, which also allows tourists these days.

I would assume that the spire and the clock alone make up for 200-250m of that building, so you have only 320-370m of habitable height left and 76 floors is quite common for such a height.

March 25th


January 19th

I'm pretty sure non-Muslims still aren't allowed in Mecca and Medina.

That is correct, and especially with this being at the Masjid al-Haram. That is, unless you pretend. ;)

Putting that huge spire on it is really cheating to become the 2nd tallest on completion.

looks like big ben's and moscow university's illegitimate child

:D hahahahahahahaha i may have to write that one down somewhere

Posted by Riyadhi on SSC

Looks like the huge Hotel tower is finally rising

http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/1417/5ybzkonxp6.jpg

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/5682/6exxs3adm2.jpg

it looks like this thing belongs in Las Vegas

You mean reposted. ;)
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...2&postcount=55

I didn't think there was another thread for this tower except in the M.E. section:
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=112555

I guess not too many are interested in a gigantic skyscraper almost 600m tall anymore.

It's damn interesting, but Mecca is such a closed city to us infidels that it's hard to get excited with such limited information and updates.

The top of the main tower is so out of proportion with the rest that it ruins the aesthetics of the complex. The 2005 design was the one that should have gone up.

But I love how close it pushes up on the Masjid al-Haram. Could you imagine if such buildings were on all sides of the mosque?

cool

^ That's the reason, I think, makes it more interesting. Because of limited information/pics, when they do appear, it makes it that much more special, regardless of the location, or who's building it.

Also because of the secrecy of the building, we really don't know what the finished center tower will look like. At least we have seen some options that were released at different points of time, but it can still change.

The Burj Dubai is in the middle of some spire changes as we speak, so if they can do it at 800 meters, they can surely do it to this center tower while it's barely starting to rise.

This has to be one of the most amazing structures I've ever seen. I think it is a new concept to build a building, and I'm definately going to enjoy watching it rise.

^Are you serious? What is new about it? This building design was dated by half a century or more before the first concrete was ever poured. I think this tower is an eyesore. It is impressively large, but that aspect is overwhelmed for me by how tasteless the design is. The whole facade to me resembles some of the cheaply built garbage that went up north of the Chicago river in the 90's.

Im Sorry But I Just Dont Like It

I would have preferred this version

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/8718/9rd8.jpg

WOW ! This one is so much better!
Truly amazing !

Makkah (formerly known as Mecca), needs massive buildings all round the mosque. What they have currently isn't sufficient at all.

I'm not sure which building it was that I passed by in my last visit. It may have been the InterContinental or the Hilton, but I also thought it belonged in Vegas. I think this new development suits the rest of the city. Glassy towers would look odd with the mosque.

BTW, I think non-Muslims can visit Madinah (formerly known as Medina), but not Makkah.

A 5-star hotel that holds 65,000 pilgrims to Mecca? Talk about whoring out a religious site...

This structure looks like it will be awe-inspiring when completed. Something of a more traditional design is undoubtedly more suitable for this site.

Being that I could easily pass as a muslim, I'll have to 'pretend' some day and come check it out ;)

I think this is going to look great once completed. But it does look a bit crowded.

Just surprising that this would be acceptable to Muslims to have such a massive building built so close to one of the (or is it THE) holiest sites in their faith. Seems like they could have pushed it back 1000 yards and had a automated tram shuttle people back and forth.

It's all about being practical. There are lots of people who want comfortable accomodation close-by to the mosque. The supply is in response to demand... simple.

As a Muslim, I don't care if a historical building is destroyed, if they break down the walls surrounding the mosque and leave it as an empty yard surrounded by hotels, or if they illuminate it with purple and pink neon lights.

At the end of the day, I want a bed, air conditioning, a clean bathroom, good food, and to be able to pray all day at the mosque.

Why would a rich country like Saudi Arabia settle for bad facilities for pilgrims?

Anyway, Makkah itself was built on the basis of trade and business made from pilgrims even in the pre-Islamic era. The Ka'ba was used by pagans as well.

Damn , that clock tower sucks ass compared to the rest

This thing appears to be more of a mountain and less of a skyscraper. The size is the only thing that impresses me.

I definitely would rather have seen the 2005 version under construction. The clock ruins this in my opinion.