Abraj Al Bait Towers

Abraj Al-Bait Towers

General information Location Status Groundbreaking Estimated completion Use Mecca, Saudi Arabia Under construction 2004 2010 Mixed use Height Antenna or spire 595 m (1,952 ft) Technical details Floor count 76 Companies involved Architect(s) Contractor Dar Al-Handasah Architects Saudi Binladin Group

The Abraj Al-Bait Towers also known as the "Mecca Royal Clock Hotel Tower" is a complex under construction in Mecca, Saudi Arabia by the Saudi Binladin Group. Upon completion, the tallest tower in the complex would stand as the tallest building in Saudi Arabia, tallest and largest hotel in the world, with a planned height of 595 m (1,952 ft). Upon completion, the structure would have the largest floor area of any structure in the world with 1,500,000 square metres (16,137,600 sq ft) of floorspace. This is the same as Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport, in the United Arab Emirates which is the current record holder. It will also surpass the Rose Tower in Dubai as the world's tallest hotel. It is also the second tallest building under construction. The entire project is estimated to be completed in the autumn of 2010. The site of the complex is located across the street to the south from an entrance to the Masjid al Haram, which houses the Kaaba, the holiest site in Islam. In order to start construction, the historic Ottoman Ajyad Fortress had to be first completely demolished. To accommodate worshipers who visit the Kaaba, the Abraj Al-Bait Towers will have a large prayer room capable of holding nearly ten thousand people. The tallest tower in the complex will also contain a sevenstar hotel to help provide lodging for the over five million pilgrims who travel to Mecca annually to participate in hajj. In addition, the Abraj Al-Bait Towers will have a four-story shopping mall and a parking garage capable of holding over a thousand vehicles. Residential towers will house permanent residents while two heliports and a conference center are to accommodate business travelers. In total, up to 100,000 people would be housed inside the towers. The project will use clock faces for each side of the Hotel tower. The highest residential floor will be at a hight of 450 meters, just below the clocks. The clock faces will be 80 meters high and 80 meters wide, the largest in the world. The roof of the clocks will be 530 meters high up, making them the world's most elevated architectural clocks. A 65 meter tall spire will be added on top of the clock giving it a total height of 595 meters, which will make it the second tallest building in the world when completed.

[edit] Towers
Tower Height Floors Hotel Tower 595 m (1,952 ft) 76 260 m (853 ft) 48 Hajar ZamZam 260 m (853 ft) 48 Maqam 250 m (820 ft) 45 250 m (820 ft) 45 Qibla Marwah 240 m (787 ft) 42 240 m (787 ft) 42 Safa Completion 2010 2009 2007 2010 2010 2009 2009 Status Under construction Completed Completed Under construction Under construction Completed Completed