Second time’s the charm for Nadel Architects. The Los Angeles–based firm placed second to Norman Foster in a competition to design Al Faisaliah Tower in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 14 years ago. Now the same client, the philanthropic King Faisal Foundation, has commissioned Nadel to design a 2.3 million-square-foot mixed-use building on 10 acres adjacent to Al Faisaliah.
Like its predecessor, the new building features a retail plinth; the two will be connected to form a mega-mall. While Nadel’s project will showcase major evolutions in retail design since Foster’s project was completed, such as atriums that merge retail and upper-level office spaces, it must still accommodate the Saudi custom of keeping the sexes separate. Since women are restricted from tending shop, driving, or eating alongside single men, the complex will include extra drop-off lanes in the parking lot and a segregated food court.
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