In Saudi Arabia, Al-Marqab Investment Company is working hard to deliver the Solitaire Riyadh, a 65,000sqm GLA mixed use/retail project
A multi-use lifestyle destination consists of 3 aboveground levels of retail, food and beverage, entertainment, wellness and sport offerings, and 3 levels of basement parking. Majestic wind towers mark the northern and southern points of the asset, serving as iconic landmarks you will see long before arriving at the destination.
Intrinsically designed around the concept of the geode, the angular stone exterior evolves and softens as you move inward through contrasting layers towards its centre.that aims to reinvent retail as a vibrant urban district promoting social interaction
Solitaire is set to become an iconic retail destination for the Saudi capital. The key ambition was to create something economically viable and environmentally sustainable, in alignment with the government’s 2030 strategic framework. To this end, there has been a strong focus on biophilia and greenspace within this new commercial district.
Part of Vision 2030 is all about turning Riyadh into a green area. In the streets, there has been a great deal of tree planting. The government is trying to encourage healthy lifestyles for local people, and the planting of trees and greenery is designed to make the environment more livable.
Unlike other malls and commercial developments in Saudi Arabia, the majority of which are based on heavily air conditioned interiors, Solitaire seeks to provide an ‘environmentally controlled outdoor area’. The scheme, which is located in the north of the city, breaks from the traditional Riyadhi shopping mall typology to provide a dynamic, open-air environment complete with retail streets, plazas, boutiques and an elevated roof garden.
In Saudi Arabia, daytime temperatures can reach up to 55-degrees Celsius, meaning opportunities to spend time outside are limited. And with sweltering heat forcing people indoors for much of the year, the potential for sedentary, inactive and unhealthy living increases. Helping to overcome this challenge has become a priority for Project Solitaire, which supports quality-of-life transformation through outdoor activity, enabled by landscaping and re-examinations of urban form.
The project is highly innovative in the strategies it deploys to maximise thermal comfort. For example, a unique feature of the development is its commitment to sustainable cooling via a series of wind towers. Within the towers, mechanical fan systems help to maintain amenable temperatures throughout the site’s internal zones. The job of these fans is to move rather than chill the air, producing a sustainable alternative to standard, energy intensive air conditioning.
