Al Faisaliah Complex Riyadh, Saudi Arabia travel tips and stories. Vacations ideas, cruises, spa and resorts

Al Faisaliah Complex is a urban development, the 240, 000 square metres. The building is centred around Saudi Arabia‘s first skyscraper-267 metre high office tower, alongside a five star hotel, a banqueting and conference center, luxury apartments and three-story retail mall.

At the middle of the complex is the office tower. Square in plan, the building is designed around a compact central core which tapers to a point, with four main corner columns defining its unique silhouette. Punctuating stages up the building’s layered facade, observation decks correspond with giant K-braces, which transfer loads to the corner columns.

Each section between these decks is clad in silver- anodised aluminium panels with cantilevered sun-shading, which minimise glare, allowing the use of non-reflective, energy-efficient glass and providing maximum control over the internal environment. Above its 30 floors of office space, the tower houses a restaurant set within a golden glass sphere 200 metres above ground level. The observation deck below this globe provides a breathtaking panorama of Riyadh and the surrounding landscape, while above it, at the building’s pinnacle, the tower narrows to a brightly lit lantern, topped by a stainless-steel finial.

The owner is King Faisal Foundation and the architects are Buro Happold, Brian Clarke, Sandy Brown.