The quest for design excellence

Lee Jamieson explores the varied factors impacting hotel architecture in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia has a new-found enthusiasm for hotel architecture with grand, vanguard developments springing up across the kingdom. Buildings like the iconic Makkah Clock Royal Tower, now officially the tallest concrete building in the world, or the forthcoming Burj Rafal Kempinski are far more than functional spaces for business and leisure.

Rather, they are Saudi Arabia’s way of making a bold statement of intent — a mark of the kingdom’s vitality, wealth and unshakable confidence.

“The quest for design excellence has certainly been embraced by the practices operating in Saudi Arabia,” said Mövenpick Hotels and Resorts regional vice president for technical services and projects, Martin Molloy.

“The expectations of guests are increasing all the time and all parties must work together to meet those needs. So, the bar is constantly being raised in hotel architecture, which I think is a healthy thing for our industry.”

To fully appreciate the significance of Saudi Arabia’s passion for ultra-sleek and cutting-edge hotel architecture, we should consider how it differs from the kingdom’s existing tourism infrastructure.

Historically, the government has undervalued the country’s tourism industry — a fact reflected in the existing hotel buildings and wider tourism infrastructure.

The hotel market is relatively underdeveloped and of average three-star quality. But more recently, the tide has turned and there has been a frenzy of high-end brands establishing themselves in the region, leaving a chasm between old and new hotel architecture in the country.

“In the past, hotel architecture in Saudi Arabia was typically modularised and bland, and consequently, many are now looking outdated and require major upgrading and modernisation,” explained Aedas director, Charles Collett.

“One of the main issues is how we adapt these older designs to meet the modern needs of the hotel industry. For example, adapting these buildings to meet modern security requirements and creating direct access to shopping malls.”

Whether renovation or new build, the demand is for high-end, modern hotel architecture. And with the luxury segment still in its infancy, architects are able work from a relatively blank canvas and create striking designs, spurred on by enthusiastic clients eager to make a statement through architecture.

“I find the excitement and enthusiasm from clients in Saudi Arabia really interesting,” explained Atkins design director and head of architecture, Joe Tabet. “They tend to be people who have travelled overseas, seen glimpses of architecture they like and want to try and replicate it.

“They know what they consider to be good and bad design and have a great deal of passion about what they want to deliver. I think that clients are becoming very aware that what they create is going to reflect back on them, so they all want to make a statement!”

New Demand, New Designs
The enthusiasm in Saudi Arabia’s hotel market is driven by growing demand and emerging opportunities in the business and leisure travel sectors.

High oil prices have generated an increase in international business activities in the kingdom and the number of business arrivals is set to double over the next four years.

Furthermore, the government has finally embraced the importance of tourism, and in February announced an US $89 million investment to encourage domestic travel among nationals (see page 5).

“The market in Saudi Arabia has picked up dramatically in the past two years,” continued Tabet. “You only need to visit the place to experience the demand for hotels. I’ve just come back from Riyadh to discuss ideas for a new hotel project, and finding somewhere to stay myself was a nightmare!

“The demand is for hotel rooms, hotel apartments and serviced apartments. However, it is taking a while to get things moving because historically, the market has been very slow. You can’t just turn the tap on — people first need to understand the needs of the market.”

Currently, demand is generated by business travellers, with a growth in domestic tourism expected thereafter. Therefore, new hotel architecture projects are designed around the MICE sector, but architects are mindful that demand will balance in the future.

“The majority of existing hotels, disregarding those built within the last few years, are aimed at the business market,” explained Godwin Austen Johnson partner, Keith Gavin.

“Resort hotels are few and far between and generally they are more of a hybrid property — which is very different to the type of resort hotels we know in the UAE or Asia.

“However, I think there is an emerging trend to provide more holiday retreats in KSA for Saudi nationals. Each year, a significant number of wealthy Saudis travel abroad during the summer months and spend large sums of money in foreign countries.

The government is trying to address this by providing more home-grown resorts and culturally acceptable entertainment facilities in the Kingdom.”

Security First
Security has found itself at the top of the hotelier’s agenda in Saudi Arabia, and designers are expected to build security features into the hotel’s architecture.

“In Saudi Arabia, business visitors are more likely to stay in a hotel if it has good security,” said Aedas’ Collett, “so this area is of the highest importance for designers.”

Security considerations affect the way in which a design evolves, so many architects work with security consultants from the concept stage onwards to introduce the relevant technology, check points and accessibility restrictions.

Currently, the key threat in Saudi Arabia is car bombs. A common technique is to stop all cars from getting any closer than 20 metres of the hotel building to minimise the potential impact of an explosion.

This is an area in which P&T Group director, Stephan Frantzen is well-versed. For example, when he designed the Burj Rafal Kempinski in Riyadh, Frantzen had to factor in multiple ways to reduce the risk of an attack.

“In Saudi Arabia, extra security measures have been introduced because of the risk of car bombs, so check points have to be incorporated. In Riyadh, they check every car that is driven up to the main entrance of the hotel.

“Also, very solid, heavy barriers must be built to stop cars and trucks approaching the hotel building. Therefore, the areas around the hotel building are required to be larger than normal, creating design limitations for the architect.”

Hotel security systems and procedures can be cumbersome if not implemented effectively. It is therefore essential that these measures are built into the designs at an early stage, as Gavin warns: “Physical screening and searching options in the hotel arrival areas will compromise the guest experience if added after the design process.

This is common in many security conscious countries like Saudi Arabia, where older hotels were designed during a period of low security risk.

“These buildings have to be adapted to meet modern threats, sometimes resulting in unsightly scanners, porte-cocheres and blanked out windows.”

A Design for Life
Good hotel architecture facilitates the day-to-day needs of hotel guests, and in Saudi Arabia, architects need to be mindful of the country’s conservative culture.

The Kingdom’s hospitality scene is very different to that found in the GCC’s more liberal centres. Certainly, architects will be facilitating the tourist experience as it evolves, but it is likely that this will be dominated by domestic and religious tourism with very specific needs.

And then there’s the role of the hotel to consider. With the absence of bars and clubs, hotels are an important social hub for nationals and business travellers alike, and architecture needs to facilitate this.

“Architects and operators can’t come to Saudi Arabia with a one-size-fits-all philosophy” reminds Tabet, “rather, they need to tailor their hotels to suit the market.”

The most challenging cultural factor to incorporate into Saudi hotel architecture is segregation. Logistically, this can be space consuming and often requires public amenities like gym equipment, spas and pools to be doubled up — all factors that impact heavily on the bottom line.

“The architectural planning of a hotel in Saudi Arabia must address segregation for public areas such as restaurants and health facilities,” said Frantzen.

“Restaurants are split into two zones; one for men and another for women and families. Other facilities are typically separated into three zones. For example, an outdoor pool area might be split into a women-only pool, a men-only pool and a common family area with a playground.

“We also employ swing rooms to overcome the segregation issue in certain parts of a hotel. A good example of a swing room in action is a massage treatment room which can be managed by opening and closing the zone to different sexes at set times.”

A New Alternative for GMT
Arguably, Saudi Arabia’s most iconic example of a hotel build around the cultural and religious needs of its guests is the Fairmont Makkah Clock Royal Tower, which opened in November last year.

This architectural triumph from Dar Al-Handasah (Shair and Partners) epitomises KSA’s thirst for luxury, cutting-edge design, religious tourism and a desire to make architectural statements.

The 76-story luxury hotel is the focal point of the Abraj Al Bait Complex and features a 40-metre clock tower, visible from 17 kilometres away, to announce daily prayers to the Muslim world.

Located adjacent to the Masjid al Haram in Makkah, the tower will draw pilgrims from all over the world, but the architecture employed denotes more than its immediate religious significance.

It is designed to be a symbol of the Arab world, leading one commentator to describe the Makkah Clock Royal Tower as “a new alternative for GMT,” the time standard that conveniently places London at the centre of the modern world.

Its potency as an architectural statement can perhaps be measured in the reaction of the British press, when The Telegraph reported, “bearing a striking resemblance to both St. Stephen’s Tower, which houses the bell of Big Ben, and the Empire State Building, this Saudi upstart aims to outdo its revered British rival in every way.”

In designing the new hotel, Fairmont had to balance the religious significance of Makkah with the core brand values.

“First and foremost, we are trying to preserve the Makkah theme and heritage, as are all the hotels in the central district around the holy Mosque,” said Fairmont group director of communications and business development, Khaled Yamak. “We wanted to capture the Islamic theme as much as possible and blend it into our hotel’s corporate theme.

“It was therefore essential that our architects really understood the market we are in and worked with sensitivity from an Islamic point of view. After all, we are here to serve Muslims and pilgrims from around the world.”

With more than 850 rooms, access between the hotel and the holy Masjid al Haram at prayer times was a key challenge. To facilitate the incredibly high volume of traffic at these times, 76 elevators were installed to shuttle pilgrims to-and-fro during Azan.

Keeping it Local
The importance of local knowledge should not be underestimated and most international design firms partner with local consultants, with varying degrees of success.

In this market, the success or failure of a project can rely on the right local partnership because the business environment is very different and international firms may require an “ambassador” figure to guide them through the process.

“The language barrier is a huge factor for Western firms as well as understanding the culture,” said Gavin. “In a way, we’re spoilt in Dubai because many of the business and legal processes are based on Western standards and involve the latest technologies.

“In Saudi Arabia, things take a bit more time. Business is conducted over a period of three or four face-to-face meetings. There is also a fair amount of red tape involved with registering your company and trading there.”

Mövenpick, currently expanding its presence in Saudi Arabia, chose to partner with local architects for this reason, as Molloy confirms: “We like working with locally-based architects as they know the local jurisdiction, build codes and permitting practices. So, we send out a request for information to some of the most renowned architects operating in the market.

“We form a close partnership right from the start of the project as we believe that the success of the final product is a reflection of a good, strong and honest working relationship. Once you have the right business partner, nothing is impossible and this market is extremely professionally rewarding. In fact, it’s an amazing market to work in.”

However, finding the right partner in Saudi Arabia can be problematic. Although there are many consultants operating in the country, quality can sometimes be an issue, and with business visas hard to come by without a sponsor, international companies are forced to place a great deal of trust in the hands of their local partners.

“Saudi is one of the most competitive markets in the world at the moment,” said Aedas’ Collett, “so it is not hard to find consultants who are willing to work there; but the key is to find a good local consultant to team up with and upon whom you can rely. I feel that obtaining registration by partnering with a local firm is the ideal scenario.”

As Saudi Arabia’s boom continues, an increasing number of hotel architects will be attracted to the country. Furthermore, the market is so large and is experiencing such strong demand, that it is unlikely the boom will wane anytime soon.

Grand architectural gestures and vanguard designs will continue to spring up across the Saudi landscape as the country’s tourism industry slowly begins to mature.

“There is vast demand and the market is strong,” concludes Tabet. “As with any new market, you have to go in with your eyes wide open and if you use architects and consultants who understand the market and who you’re comfortable with, then you’ve got a good head start.

“My advice? Just do it.”

Top 5 Issues Affecting Hotel Architecture in KSA

1. Security: security technology and procedures should be built into the hotel’s design to minimise disruption to the guest experience
2. Segregation: separate spaces for men and women can be costly
3. Local partnerships: it is essential to partner with local consultants or architects, but quality can be an issue
4. Corporate vs. leisure: demand is expected to balance in the future, but business travel currently dominates the market
5. Fees: with fees low in KSA, international firms have to bargain hard to secure work at an internationally competitive price