With the Solitaire Mall, a new architectural highlight has emerged in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Inspired by the concept of the geode, a secondary formation in volcanic rock, the new building combines shopping opportunities, leisure activities, gastronomy, and business life in a versatile, dynamic space. The angular facade of the mall for luxury brands features a special, challenging design with its inclinations in various directions. The building envelope was clad with porcelain and ceramic facade panels over 16,000 m², which securely anchor a complete fischer solution for the VHF (ventilated facade) system.
„The precious ‚Solitaire‘, the ‚Jewel of Riyadh‘, is an outstanding project for us,“ emphasizes Imad Eloueini, Head of Construction Department at V3 Middle East Engineering Consultants Company.
„The shape of the building represents a 'crystal geode with hidden magic' – with a robust protective outer shell that allows a striking combination of aesthetics, fractal geometry, and spatial design, enhancing the perception of being gently enveloped by a complex structured environment. There are both covered and semi-covered areas for visitors to the shops, the family entertainment center, as well as the food & beverage and other offerings.“ The V3 Middle East Engineering Consultants Company from Riyadh was heavily involved in the planning and execution of the Solitaire Mall as the appointed Architect of Record (AOR) and construction supervision consultant. The developer of the Solitaire Mall is the Saudi Arabia-based Al Marqab Investment Company.
The complex extends over a 58,956 m² site and features a leasable area of 104,155 m². The Solitaire Mall houses three underground levels with infrastructure and parking options, three above-ground floors with diverse shopping, dining, entertainment, wellness, and sports offerings, as well as a rooftop as an architectural and functional highlight.
The project already presented some challenges in the planning phase from a construction perspective, which were successfully mastered thanks to the good coordination of all project participants. „The division of the object into 15 zones due to expansion joints, the high level of fine work required because of the luxury brands located there, and the execution of the fractal geometry demanded special expertise,“ says Imad Eloueini.
An architectural and technical masterpiece is the facade of the Solitaire Mall, which with its inclinations in different directions features a special, challenging design. To securely and firmly anchor 16,000 m² of porcelain and ceramic facade panels, a complete Fischer solution was used for the VHF. On the already installed steel base construction, horizontally running profiles of the ATK 103S system were applied for the invisible fastening of the facade panels. The visible elements made of porcelain and ceramic were securely and concealedly fastened to the substructure with a total of 82,000 Fischer Zycon plate anchors FZP II 11 x 9 M6/T/9 D40 PA. Imad Eloueini explains: „The fastening with Fischer undercut technology offered significant advantages to achieve the desired architectural effect of the building facade as well as the necessary design freedom and performance in facade fastening.
The customer of Solitaire Mall chose us as their trusted supplier because of our long-standing good reputation for offering high-quality, reliable, and innovative fastening solutions.
The fischer complete system used for the VHF distinguished itself from alternative solutions through faster installation and higher precision when executing the facade with its irregular shapes and slopes in different directions.“
The loads acting on the substructure from the facade (wind loads and self-weight) are transferred to the steel structure and then diverted through the construction. The facade panels with pre-mounted hooks on the back could be easily and quickly hung into the open C-profile of the horizontal elements.
Additionally, fischer FireStop solutions were installed to seal penetrations for MEP applications (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing works) and construction joints. The system solutions for the facade and passive fire protection from a single source ensured that the technical requirements of the project could be efficiently met. Moreover, fischer injection anchors were used for various fastening tasks in both concrete and hollow blocks.
Osama Farhat, National Sales Manager at the fischer national company in Saudi Arabia, highlights the company's success and states: „The customer of Solitaire Mall selected us as their trusted supplier because of our long-standing good reputation for offering high-quality, reliable, and innovative fastening solutions. We are proud that we could provide a solution ideally tailored to the customer and the project, ensuring maximum performance and safety, complemented by timely product delivery that consistently meets and exceeds customer expectations.“
This commitment to quality, customer satisfaction and technological excellence has made fischer the first choice for companies in Saudi Arabia looking for reliable fastening systems for a variety of applications. Furthermore, fischer is characterized by its dedication to exceptional service and value engineering, giving customers security and confidence at every stage of their projects. Imad Eloueini is very satisfied with the result: „During the entire execution phase, there were no supply bottlenecks, and the planning and implementation of the facade were successful.“ These excellent results were also achieved by the fastening expert fischer working closely on the project with its local trade partner Brooq Al-Amaan Trading Est. (BAT).
fischer successfully supported the facade planning and execution through all project phases, as Osama Farhat emphasizes: „In addition to the appropriate product solutions, we supported our customer with our professional service package during the execution phase, which lasted over a year. Our team was on site to carry out pull tests and supervise the installation process. A detailed BIM model was also provided to ensure quality and precision. Through the practical approach, the quality and efficiency of the project ultimately increased.“ Thanks to technological expertise, the Solitaire Mall in Riyadh received its permanently secure, angular and versatile facade, which unfolds in contrasting layers inwardly and adopts softer shapes.
