Supertall redesign in Mecca

[Slugbelch]

We've heard the rumors of Mecca's 485m Abraj Al-Bait construction may have had a redesign. Maybe the renders that were published were already dated after the tower began to rise or not, but I was wondering if this is the new (or final) design:





Abraj Al-Bait construction in Mecca:
June 28:

Older model of the area:

[Fabb]

There's too much secrecy about this project.

[BnaBreaker]

Do Muslims really want their most Holy City turned into a conservative version of Las Vegas?

[Slugbelch]

2005:



Oct 27th:


Nov:


Dec. 29th:

[Slugbelch]

2006:

Jan 24th:


Mar 22nd:

[Slugbelch]

June 28th:

[soonermeteor]

Originally Posted by BnaBreaker

Do Muslims really want their most Holy City turned into a conservative version of Las Vegas?

That's what i was thinking. As far as i know, there is nothing more than a few stories around The Vatican.

[Slugbelch]

[big W]

Intresting project. I just don't like it as I would rather it be something that fits with the Mosque in tersm of architecture. If the building was say in Jeddah instead it would be great.

[smussuw]

Originally Posted by BnaBreaker

Do Muslims really want their most Holy City turned into a conservative version of Las Vegas?

Originally Posted by CGII

I'm not taking a stab at Muslims, but it's really quite sad to see any religon exploited or commercialized as this. What's worse, if this was an American project, extremists would probably burn it.

Originally Posted by soonermeteor

That's what i was thinking. As far as i know, there is nothing more than a few stories around The Vatican.

I dont really find a problem about those skyscrapers.

People go there to pray not sightseeing. We need those hotesl to supply the demand.

[Jonovision]

I really hope that's the new design! It looks so much better then the old ones. It just looks a lot more cohesive and put together.

[q8_shaggy_17]

Originally Posted by smussuw

I dont really find a problem about those skyscrapers.

People go there to pray not sightseeing. We need those hotesl to supply the demand.

if u really dont mind those skyscrapers my friend, well...i do mind, why??
cuz as they said this is a holly city, plus most of the buildings r historic, the hole city is historical, it's really sad seeing it being destroyed, as a matter afact, i have a saudi friend that told me that there used 2 be a house or place that prophet mohammad used 2 go 2 and is now destroyed and a skyscraper project is being built there, if i had a holly and historical place like that the last thing i would think of is destroying it just 4 some stupid project, well i know that the project is 4 ppl that go there 4 omra, but that's something their gonna have 2 face, their going there 2 pray not play arround.

for example, london is a historical city and 90% of the buildings there r around 150-300 years old, and the british government is taking a good care of it just 2 make the historical buildings safe not demolished like the ones in mecca, and on top of all that meccal is a HOLLY city, that makes it even more important

[smussuw]

Originally Posted by q8_shaggy_17

if u really dont mind those skyscrapers my friend, well...i do mind, why??
cuz as they said this is a holly city, plus most of the buildings r historic, the hole city is historical, it's really sad seeing it being destroyed, as a matter afact, i have a saudi friend that told me that there used 2 be a house or place that prophet mohammad used 2 go 2 and is now destroyed and a skyscraper project is being built there, if i had a holly and historical place like that the last thing i would think of is destroying it just 4 some stupid project, well i know that the project is 4 ppl that go there 4 omra, but that's something their gonna have 2 face, their going there 2 pray not play arround.

for example, london is a historical city and 90% of the buildings there r around 150-300 years old, and the british government is taking a good care of it just 2 make the historical buildings safe not demolished like the ones in mecca, and on top of all that meccal is a HOLLY city, that makes it even more important

I understand what u say, my point was that there is no religious reasons stopping them from building those skyscrapers.

History admiration is another story

[ThisSideofSteinway]

Originally Posted by smussuw

I dont really find a problem about those skyscrapers.

People go there to pray not sightseeing. We need those hotesl to supply the demand.

Salaam alayikum,

IMO, it's not so much the fact that they're building this hotel, but the fact that it's being built so close to Masjid al-Haram. It really strikes me as being an almost arrogant development considering its proximity to the holiest place on Earth. It would have been so much better had it been built outside of the city center and connected to the downtown area with some sort of rapid transit.

Mecca is definitely in need of better accomodations, and in any other circumstance it would have been fine. It all really comes down to location for me, and I don't like where it's located.

And I'm loving this new design - it does a great job of capturing the essence of Islamic architecture.

[horatio_the_hermit]

so is it just going to be a hotel for rich people on their haajes

[CGII]

I'm not taking a stab at Muslims, but it's really quite sad to see any religon exploited or commercialized as this. What's worse, if this was an American project, extremists would probably burn it.

[Slugbelch]

Exploited or commercialized is an understatement, I think. It's going to have a mall/shopping center in the bottom of it. I thought it was only going to be a premium hotel for the area, but I guess they're going after shoppers as well.

mall website:
http://www.abrajalbait.com/main.html

[Slugbelch]

Taken about a month ago, but as new as we're going to get. Not many photogs there:






khalelooo

[Thskyscraper]

OMG!!!!!!! That thing is massive! It's amazing what they've been building out in the Middle East.

[mSeattle]

Very interesting.