Makkah Royal Clock Tower
The Makkah Royal Clock Tower complex, commonly known as the Abraj Al-Bait Towers, is a mixed residential and hotel complex located near the Masjid al Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Construction of the complex began in 2004 and was completed in 2012.
The construction of the building is made up of seven towers that rise over podiums. The Makkah Royal Clock is adorning the world's tallest tower, which stands 601 meters above ground and is one of the world's ten tallest skyscrapers.
The gigantic structure was constructed as part of the King Abdulaziz Endowment Project, which aimed to modernize Makkah in order to provide world-class accommodations for the growing number of visitors and residents.
The Makkah Royal Clock Tower project is being developed by the Saudi Binladin Group. Dar Al-Handasah was granted the architectural design contract for the project in 2001.
The site of the Makkah Royal Clock Tower is 23 hectares south of the Masjid al Haram. To make place for the tower, the old Ottoman-era Ajyad Fortress was dismantled. The total built-up area of the complex is 2.8 million square meters (21.5 million square feet).
The building's seven towers are supported by a 15-story, 115-meter-high platform that holds a large retail area. The Makkah Royal Clock Tower Hotel is housed in the tallest tower, which is positioned in the center of the architectural construction. The clock tower is flanked by six more towers: Hajar, ZamZam, Maqam, Qibla, and Marwah.
The accompanying towers range in height from 200 to 300 meters, and the number of floors ranges from 42 to 48.
The 120-story Makkah Royal Clock Tower Hotel is located in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. It is the world's highest hotel as well as the tallest clock tower. The clock, which soars 43 meters above the hotel tower on either side, is the world's largest clock face. Around two million LED lights illuminate the clock faces. From the base of the clock to the top of the crescent structure, the clock tower weighs 36,000 tons and stands 251 meters tall.
The clock is topped with a 71-meter-tall spire, which boosts the building's height to 601 meters above the ground. At the summit of the tower is a 23-meter-high crescent made of mosaic gold with a fiberglass backing. Fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) composite panels cover the top 200 meters of the clock tower.
The Makkah Clock Tower complex includes permanent resident apartment towers, a five-star hotel run by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts for Hajj pilgrims, and the Abraj Al Bait shopping mall. More than 1,000 automobiles can be parked in the structure.
An Islamic Museum, a Lunar Observation Centre, and a big prayer room with a capacity of more than 10,000 people are among the other amenities within the tower complex.
Five times a day, the residents of the tower complex perform official prayers. Kone's efficient people flow solution for the building complex allows up to 75,000 residents from all seven buildings to exit the building via podiums in a controlled and orderly way during each prayer time.
There are 79 elevators on the podium, as well as 111 extra-heavy-duty Transvario escalators. There are 94 elevators and 16 extra-heavy-duty Transvario escalators in the clock tower. Two helipad elevators and six particularly heavy-duty Transvario escalators are among the 12 elevators in the nearby towers.
Location: Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Height: 1,972 ft (601 m)
Floors: 120
Architects: Dar al-Handasah Shair & Partners + SL Rasch
Building Function: Mixed-Use
Completion: 2012
