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

[OneWorldTradeCenter]

Originally Posted by newyorkthing10

The rendering looks like 350 and with the pinnacle it looks like 420

This height would be enough. 577m is too tall for this one.

[red-paladin]

Wow. Talk about high density. I agree that it's kitschy and garish with the gigantic clock and the pseudo-Islamic architecture. I don't know enough about all the claims the Saudis are destroying many of the holy and historic places, but I'm pretty sure the Prophet watching from heaven is not impressed with a lot of what is going on in that country. I agree that the Vatican would never allow such a thing to be built next door.

[kingsdl76]

Originally Posted by 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

Interesting quote... it sort of mirrors the old Testament story regarding the Tower of Babel... about men trying to build a structure to reach the heavens. God subsequently stops the men by striking them all with different languages... etc. You may be familiar with the story..... just thought it was an interesting parallel.

[malec]

Update of the top of the tower

Originally Posted by Rody69

from (abumuhannadh's) update photo:

[OneWorldTradeCenter]

GUYS, please have a look at that press release. Oh my godness, if that is true, it says that Abaraj Al Bait will only be 11 meters shorter than Burj Khalifa???!!

Is that a mistake?

http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Secon...cca-18155.html

[steveve]

Originally Posted by OneWorldTradeCenter

GUYS, please have a look at that press release. Oh my godness, if that is true, it says that Abaraj Al Bait will only be 11 meters shorter than Burj Khalifa???!!

Is that a mistake?

http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Secon...cca-18155.html

it could be a mistake but if its true...

THATS INSANE!!!!!

[Tom In Chicago]

he Mecca Royal Clock Tower (pictured) will consist of a reinforced concrete structure 662 meters high. . .

Burj Khalifa is 828 meters tall. . . 166 meters "taller" than MRCT. . .

The skyscraper will be only 11 meters lower than the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. . .

Lower as in relation to what? Height to tip of building as measured from sea level perhaps?

. . .

[SkyscrapersOfNewYork]

this tower is so bad it literally makes me sick....

[Indescribable]

"The Mecca Royal Clock Tower (pictured) will consist of a reinforced concrete structure 662 meters high, to be completed by June. To this a metal spiral structure 155 meters high will be added, inside which a clock 45 feet wide and 43 high will be placed. Six feet larger than the famous Big Ben in London. The clock is to be set in motion in the middle of August, just days before the start of the holy month of Ramadan."

Given the comparison photo above, it looks like this quote is very inaccurate.

[Aleks]

yeah, why did they say its only 6 feet larger than big ben? this thing (by thing i mean clock) is massive, big ben doesnt even come close!

i didnt use to like this building, but it grew on me a lot. i actually like it a lot now. i still wish it was a kilometer away from the mosque, but it's not as hideous as people make it seem (imo). i would actually love to go to the top floors, they seem like they'll hold some cool exhibits and things. plus on this one you can actually go almost all the way up, just look at that outdoor viewing platform! i can only imagine what the ginormous crescent will look like from underneath!

[muppet]

they've confused metres with feet again

[OneWorldTradeCenter]

I don't think so. The newspaper is simply wrong. Have a look at the elevation drawing. 591m, 1939ft is the correct figure. The newspaper says that it will be complete by June 2010. Rediculous. That's not possible. It's still not topped-out. I guess that will happen by the end of this year.

[leftopolis]

A recent pic:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4022/...b3041f4a_o.jpg


Also, to clear up some confusion regarding the clock--it's being done by another company. I'm not sure, but it almost seems like it will be lifted into place, once it's been built...

More info and lots of close-up pics here:

http://www.pct.ae/composite_projects.php?project=1

Premier Composite Technologies will supply the uppermost 200 metres of the tower, a project that involves 35,000m2 of cladding made from glass fibre composites.

Premier Composite Technologies will also laminate the Epoxy glassfibre foam sandwich clock faces that each measure 43m diameter. The massive clock hands, measuring 23m in length, will be produced from carbon fibre prepegs.

The Dokaae Tower will be covered in Italian mosaic titles, 13,000 of which are made from real gold. 700,000 LED lights will also be integrated into the composite cladding to light up the clock face by night.

It's too bad the intricate details won't be visible up close. Here's a sample pic from the above link:

[OneWorldTradeCenter]

Sorry but it's simply ugly!

That should not mean, that I dislike islamtic architecture. It's very interesting architecture, but not at such a huge complex.

[AtlantaMustang]

Originally Posted by leftopolis

This pic actually makes it look interesting. I like how the lower buildings come to points on the front.

[photoLith]

I want to see what this tower looks like in the skyline or the lack thereof in Mecca. By the way, the detail in that clock looks incredible.

[leftopolis]

Originally Posted by photolitherland

I want to see what this tower looks like in the skyline or the lack thereof in Mecca. By the way, the detail in that clock looks incredible.

I know this isn't quite what you had in mind, but as I understand it, the city is a vast construction site right now. Evidently this billboard is at the construction site and has a countdown clock to when the actual clock will be installed. Although according to the DallasNews story below(which looks like a tranlation from an Arabic paper), it's a countdown to the 25 hotels. That's the corner of Abraj Al-Bait on the left side of the billboard--even the 48 story hotels will look puny next to the monolith!:


http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/7928/s114.jpg
I think the series of similar buildings is this hotel project:
From: http://www.dallasnews.com/

Dallas-based Wilson Associates, considered among the elite of the world's hospitality interior design firms, was chosen to design 19 hotels going up simultaneously in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad and the religion he founded.

Unlike other fantastic projects that have come her way – the Atlantis in the Bahamas, the Venetian Las Vegas and Venetian Macau and palaces for Middle Eastern royals – this project is spiritually unparalleled.

The hotels are part of a $6 billion redevelopment in Mecca, center of the Islamic world. More than 65,000 pilgrims from around the globe come to the Grand Mosque every day. And many of them need places to stay.

The firm will design more than 10,500 rooms in 25 towers, ranging from 20 to 48 stories, all with views of the city and surrounding holy sites. It will also design 17 grand lobbies and 40 food and beverage outlets.

But there are no bars, spas or health clubs. "No elevator music – just the call to prayer via the PA system," Wilson says.

The hotel brands involved are Conrad, Westin, Sheraton, Marriott, Hilton, Radisson Blu, Mercure and Novotel.

Here's one more clock pic:


BTW, I'm getting some of this via Arabic sites, initially--so if I'm sounding a little vague, it's because I don't speak Arabic! It truly is a bummer that information is so limited on what's happening there.

[Aleks]

wow, that clock is beautiful. it'll make an amazing sight when seen from below.

[jamesinclair]

"The hotel brands involved are Conrad, Westin, Sheraton, Marriott, Hilton, Radisson Blu, Mercure and Novotel. "


Ah yes, just what the holy location needed, a Sheraton.

[Lecom]

Originally Posted by leftopolis

BTW, I'm getting some of this via Arabic sites, initially--so if I'm sounding a little vague, it's because I don't speak Arabic! It truly is a bummer that information is so limited on what's happening there.

Google Translation speaks Arabic, so go ahead and post the info you've got