Al Faisaliah Centre, Commercial skyscraper in Al-Olaya district, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Al Faisaliah Centre is a 267-metre skyscraper in Riyadh's Al-Olaya district, designed by Foster + Partners. Its concrete shaft rises 30 floors, topped by a 93-metre open steel structure and a glass sphere. The complex also holds a five-star hotel, a three-storey mall and a column-free banqueting hall.
The complex opened in 2000 and marked a turning point in the country's modern building history. As the nation's first major skyscraper, the project shaped Riyadh's development into a contemporary metropolitan center.
The tower is named after King Faisal bin Abdulaziz, and its design was inspired by the Umar ibn al-Khattab Mosque in Al-Jouf Province. In the lobby, a five-storey stained-glass wall by Brian Clarke, made with Norman Foster, connects the hotel, residential and retail wings. The Globe restaurant sits in the glass sphere above the observation deck.
The building is easily accessible with multiple areas open to pedestrian traffic, including the shopping mall and restaurants. Visiting the upper levels with the observation area is straightforward to arrange and offers views across the entire city.
The tower's design was inspired by the Umar ibn al-Khattab Mosque in Al-Jouf Province. Its lobby holds a 22,000 sq ft stained-glass wall by Brian Clarke with Norman Foster, a five-storey glass skin linking hotel, residences and mall.
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