KAFD World Trade Center

Riyadh

Note: As this project is architecturally topped out, the data is based on the most reliable information currently available. This data is thus subject to change until the building has completed and all information can be confirmed and ratified by the CTBUH.

  • Facts
Height 304.0 m / 997 ft
Floors 67
Official Name
The current legal building name.

KAFD World Trade Center

Other Names
Other names the building has commonly been known as, including former names, common informal names, local names, etc.

PPA 30 Parcel 1.15

Name of Complex
A complex is a group of buildings which are designed and built as pieces of a greater development.

King Abdullah Financial District

Type
CTBUH collects data on two major types of tall structures: 'Buildings' and 'Telecommunications / Observation Towers.' A 'Building' is a structure where at least 50% of the height is occupied by usable floor area. A 'Telecommunications / Observation Tower' is a structure where less than 50% of the structure's height is occupied by usable floor area. Only 'Buildings' are eligible for the CTBUH 'Tallest Buildings' lists.

Building

Status
Completed
Architecturally Topped Out
Structurally Topped Out
Under Construction
Proposed
On Hold
Never Completed
Vision
Competition Entry
Canceled
Proposed Renovation
Under Renovation
Renovated
Under Demolition
Demolished

Architecturally Topped Out

Country
The CTBUH follows the United Nations's definition of Country, and thus uses the lists and codes established by that organization.

Saudi Arabia

City
The CTBUH follows the United Nations's definition of City, and thus uses the lists and codes established by that organization.

Riyadh

Address

Parcel 1.15, King Abdullah Financial District, King Fahd Rd., Al Aqiq

Postal Code

13511

Function
A single-function tall building is defined as one where 85% or more of its usable floor area is dedicated to a single usage. Thus a building with 90% office floor area would be said to be an "office" building, irrespective of other minor functions it may also contain.

A mixed-use tall building contains two or more functions (or uses), where each of the functions occupy a significant proportion of the tower's total space. Support areas such as car parks and mechanical plant space do not constitute mixed-use functions. Functions are denoted on CTBUH "Tallest Building" lists in descending order, e.g., "hotel/office" indicates hotel function above office function.

office

Structural Material
Steel
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from steel. Note that a building of steel construction with a floor system of concrete planks or concrete slab on top of steel beams is still considered a “steel” structure as the concrete elements are not acting as the primary structure.

Reinforced Concrete
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from concrete which has been cast in place and utilizes steel reinforcement bars.

Precast Concrete
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning system are constructed from steel reinforced concrete which has been precast as individual components and assembled together on-site.

Mixed-Structure
Utilizes distinct systems (e.g. steel, concrete, timber), one on top of the other. For example, a steel/concrete indicates a steel structural system located on top of a concrete structural system, with the opposite true of concrete/steel.

Composite
A combination of materials (e.g. steel, concrete, timber) are used together in the main structural elements. Examples include buildings which utilize: steel columns with a floor system of reinforced concrete beams; a steel frame system with a concrete core; concrete-encased steel columns; concrete-filled steel tubes; etc. Where known, the CTBUH database breaks out the materials used in a composite building’s core, columns, and floor spanning separately.

concrete

Height
Architectural
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the architectural top of the building, including spires, but not including antennae, signage, flag poles or other functional-technical equipment. This measurement is the most widely utilized and is employed to define the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) rankings of the "World's Tallest Buildings."

304.0 m / 997 ft

To Tip
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest point of the building, irrespective of material or function of the highest element (i.e., including antennae, flagpoles, signage and other functional-technical equipment).
304.0 m / 997 ft
Observatory
300.0 m / 984 ft
Floors Above Ground
The number of floors above ground should include the ground floor level and be the number of main floors above ground, including any significant mezzanine floors and major mechanical plant floors. Mechanical mezzanines should not be included if they have a significantly smaller floor area than the major floors below. Similarly, mechanical penthouses or plant rooms protruding above the general roof area should not be counted. Note: CTBUH floor counts may differ from published accounts, as it is common in some regions of the world for certain floor levels not to be included (e.g., the level 4, 14, 24, etc. in Hong Kong).

67

Tower GFA
Tower GFA refers to the total gross floor area within the tower footprint, not including adjoining podiums, connected buildings or other towers within the development.

137,483 m² / 1,479,855 ft²

Construction Schedule
2010

Proposed

2010

Construction Start

2020

Completed

Architect
Design

Usually involved in the front end design, with a "typical" condition being that of a leadership role through either Schematic Design or Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.
Gensler
Other Consultant

Other Consultant refers to other organizations which provided significant consultation services for a building project (e.g. wind consultants, environmental consultants, fire and life safety consultants, etc).
Façade

These are firms that consult on the design of a building's façade. May often be referred to as "Cladding," "Envelope," "Exterior Wall," or "Curtain Wall" Consultant, however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Façade Consultant" exclusively.
Permasteelisa Group
Façade Maintenance
Access Advisors Ltd.
Lighting
Lichtvision
Material Supplier

Material Supplier refers to organizations which supplied significant systems/materials for a building project (e.g. elevator suppliers, facade suppliers, etc).
Elevator
Otis Elevator Company
Owner
Riyadh Investment Company
Architect
Design

Usually involved in the front end design, with a "typical" condition being that of a leadership role through either Schematic Design or Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.
Gensler
Structural Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.
BuroHappold Engineering
MEP Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.
BuroHappold Engineering
Project Manager

The CTBUH lists a project manager when a specific firm has been commissioned to oversee this aspect of a tall building’s design/construction. When the project management efforts are handled by the developer, main contract, or architect, this field will be omitted.
BuroHappold Engineering
Main Contractor

The main contractor is the supervisory contractor of all construction work on a project, management of sub-contractors and vendors, etc. May be referred to as "Construction Manager," however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Main Contractor" exclusively.
Saudi Bin Laden Group
Other Consultant

Other Consultant refers to other organizations which provided significant consultation services for a building project (e.g. wind consultants, environmental consultants, fire and life safety consultants, etc).
Civil
BuroHappold Engineering
Façade

These are firms that consult on the design of a building's façade. May often be referred to as "Cladding," "Envelope," "Exterior Wall," or "Curtain Wall" Consultant, however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Façade Consultant" exclusively.
BuroHappold Engineering; Permasteelisa Group
Façade Maintenance
Access Advisors Ltd.
Fire
BuroHappold Engineering
Geotechnical
BuroHappold Engineering
LEED
BuroHappold Engineering
Lighting
Lichtvision; BuroHappold Engineering
Security
BuroHappold Engineering
Sustainability
BuroHappold Engineering
Material Supplier

Material Supplier refers to organizations which supplied significant systems/materials for a building project (e.g. elevator suppliers, facade suppliers, etc).
Cladding
BFG International
Elevator
Otis Elevator Company

About KAFD World Trade Center

The result of an international design competition, KAFD World Trade Center is the second tallest building within the massive King Abdullah Financial District, Riyadh's newest central business district built from scratch in one construction cycle. The new district needed a central focal point for the emerging skyline and this was the driving initiative behind establishing a pair of supertall buildings in center of the new development. Unlike typical supertall office towers which are often anchored by large corporate users taking on large blocks of interior space, the KAFD World Trade Center was designed with small and medium size companies in mind, businesses which need less space but still desire a prestigious address and location.

The exterior of the building was envisioned as a solid rock split in two. The split is envisioned as a wadi, a usually dry valley or gorge in the desert which becomes a river in periods of rainfall. This wadi concept is turned vertical through the building, forming an interior atrium around which offices spaces are arranged and accessed without the use of typical long hallways.

The exterior is clad in a series of composite panels which had to be designed to account for the harsh conditions of the Arabian climate, including extreme temperature differentials between night and day, as well as high winds and blowing sands. These panels cover more than 40,000 square meters of the building’s total exterior. The monolithic form of the tower is broken by a pattern of large holes between the panels giving way to windows as well as the implied split in the center which is then clad with a glass curtain wall.

The KAFD World Trade Center contains a public observatory and stands as highly accessible centerpiece of the new business district containing over 3 million square meters of occupiable space and operating as a self contained city.

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