THE PLANS BEHIND THE VISION

 
The green wadi will wind through the entire King Abdullah Financial District and connect the traditional desert city with the modern metropolis.

FROM VISION TO REALITY: In collaboration with Henning Larsen Architects, the Danish city planning and architect firm Møller og Grønborg has implemented the vision for the King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh.

For the last 12 months, city planners Johannes Vindum and Mads Jordan have worked day and night on the local plans for construction on each lot. “Detailed plans for the 100 lots, including traffic access, air conditioning, water, sewers and electricity, have been pushed ahead so that they are now ready for official approval,” says Johannes Vindum.

“Site preparation has just begun, and construction of the district’s highest and central building which will be occupied by the owners, Public Pension Authorities and Capital Market Agency, will start later this year.”

The central building will be 365 meters high, making it one of the tallest in Saudi Arabia. The entire financial district spreads out from this point, which is encircled by medium-rise buildings along the avenues and the reconstructed wadi that glides through the district. The entire site is completed with a ring of adjoining buildings that front onto the motorway.

“Urban quality will be exceptional,” says Johannes Vindum. “The adjoining buildings are reminiscent of the old city walls around traditional Arabian desert towns, while at the same time signalling a modern metropolis like the financial centres in London and New York.”

Building owners can choose their own architect for each lot. But the local plans regulate the character of the buildings with minimum and maximum heights and usage of the area.

“When the King Abdullah Financial District is completed, it will form a unique totality which one would not find elsewhere in the world,” says Johannes Vindum.

The architects Johannes Vindum (right) and Mads Jordan plan in detail the building of every lot in Riyadh’s new financial district.

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