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

[TXAlex]

Originally Posted by Chelsea Spy

this is probably the ugliest skyscraper in the world and an awful violation of an ancient city of incomparable historic importance - imagine building something like that next to the Vatican...

That's a great idea! It would fit right in! When will it be built?

Regardless Mecca could use a second complex like this maybe even 4 more.

[Patrick]

Originally Posted by leftopolis

I'm not clear on what you mean about it being pressed up against neighboring high-rises..."It" and "the high-rises" are essentially one building--there's one common podium for the whole cluster.

I mean the highrises directly adjacent to the podium, the ones that aren't a part of the project, there's literally no space between them and the Abraj Al-Bait Towers.

[MeZo0o0o0_720]

[malec]

New diagram showing progress

Originally Posted by CULWULLA

going on recent pix and my diagram i did 6 weeks ago, i think tower has reached main roof level at 390m?80fl
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2642/...36dacd2f_o.jpg

[Onieros]

Originally Posted by Pizzuti

Okay, it's when I see that flier advertising "24-hour butler service" and "1 suite being 36,000 sq meters" that I really think that the decadence here really contrasts with the image and message of the Masjid-al-Haram.

Isn't one of the major aspects of the Hajj supposed to be that everyone is equal? You could be a multi-billionaire or a poor farmer from Bangladesh, but when you're circumambulating the Kabba, all of that is gone. Everyone looks and is totally equal during the hajj.

Not so in this building. There's automatically a differentiation between the janitors and cooks and the rich people who they cater to, and there are expensive suites and cheap suites. That is the way most of the world works, but it certainly changes what the hajj is about. I wonder if most pilgrims will even be able to afford to come in to this thing.

I'm glad someone else noticed this. The Holy Qu'ran is replete with admonitions to the rich to not forgo their charitable duties to the less fortunate, so that those who are wealthy can live in emulation of the Prophet's charitable efforts on behalf of humanity to be the Messenger. But this concept seems to fly in the face of that strong invocation.

I love the idea of a epic structure that can inflame the breast with pride...this is worth ten Burj Dubai's in terms of monument. As such, it can either be interpreted by the faithful as a modern-day Islamic "Vatican" in terms of messaging the power of 'faith' as wrought into an edifice of cathedralic grandeur...(after all, how many supertalls have "GOD" written on their pinnacle?)...or it can be seen as the "Las Vegasization" of the hajj experience and Mecca. Much depends on how the Saud culture/government 'markets' this: will it be mosque, or will it be 'Caesar's Palace'?

It's definitely going to impact the Hajj experience for 'First World' Muslims and the elitists of the many Islamic nations. Unfortunately, few will forgo the opulence offered and choose to mingle with the 'sand'...to those who do, may the Prophet (pbuh) be their inspiration and may Allah bestow gracious blessings...

[wong21fr]

Is this structure even meant for Muslims from developed nations? For such a massive structure having only 1,100 guest rooms/suites I'm going to venture that it is meant as a home away from home for members of the various Arab monarchies than for anyone else. I'm sure that a level of piousness will be maintained, but now it only has to be maintained upon exiting the Al-Bait to walk with the Hajj masses into the Grand Mosque.

[Lecom]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2642/...36dacd2f_o.jpg

That's a horribly tiny observation deck in the center of what is, quite literally, the Mecca for worldwide visitors. Why not also dedicate a regular sized floor to a main observation level?

[Troubadour]

What a pompous monstrosity.

[PhxPavilion]

All this for belief. Why not just build a stairway to heaven.

[KevinFromTexas]

Whoa. It sort of has a Las Vegas quality to it, doesn't it? I'd hate to have to walk around that thing looking for the entrance!

[JManc]

Originally Posted by Dylan Leblanc

I

that thing dwarfs even the burj bubai. and only 1000 hotels rooms? seems awfully small for such a massive facility. the 614' (187 m) wynn in vegas has twice as many.

[OneWorldTradeCenter]

Why says this picture it will be 530m high????

[JManc]

the clock will.

[kenratboy]

How can there be only 1,000 rooms!? Seems like 5,000 would be easy, if not more.

[Pandemonious]

dp

[Pandemonious]

Originally Posted by MeZo0o0o0_720

I see the roof of the lower building(s) is trying pretty hard to reuse/ripoff the design concept of the King Abdul Aziz International Airport Hajj Terminal Roof by SOM... ugh.. this building is such a clusterfuck. What a total monstrosity..

[JDRCRASH]

The only real thing i'm looking forward to in this project is this "chocolate room".....

[R@ptor]

Originally Posted by JMancuso

that thing dwarfs even the burj bubai. and only 1000 hotels rooms? seems awfully small for such a massive facility. the 614' (187 m) wynn in vegas has twice as many.

Hotel rooms make up only a part of the tower. There will also be thousands of residential units and the entire lower part of it is made up of giant shopping malls, conference centers, etc.

Besides the diagram has an incorrect scale. On it the Abraj al Bait appears to be 675-680m instead of 595m it is in reality.

[redwhiteblack]

The corrupted Wahabi Saudi Royal family have destroyed the Prophet's home along with other ancient sites to build multi-billion dollar skyscrapers. It goes against everything this area represented and looks completely out of place. Can you imagine a monster like this being built on the doorstep of the Christian Vatican??

Islamic architecture had always been innovative and tasteful, from Moorish Spain to Ottoman Turkey, now we have Saudi Royals drunk on oil putting up this insult....

"He said: 'Tell me about its signs'. The Prophet (pbuh) replied: '.....you shall see these bare footed, naked, and poor shepherds [of Arabia] competing with each other in making high buildings'"

What better place than on the doorstep of Makkah.

Everybody please read this: http://www.petitiononline.com/ma363724/petition.html

[M.K.]

The building complex is totally 100% OK, very nice btw, different, plausible, a mix of London and Moscow together, even with the closer religious thing, IF WERE complete in middle a huge park/roads with space. The problem is the other tide uninteresting millions midrises too close in the dramatic caos neighborhood. I am Ok with the complex if were in wider empty space among the constructions there.