Capital Tower: Redefining the Skyline with a Bold Crystal-like Icon

A Mixed-Use Building by Collaborative Architects + Partners

Capital Tower, located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, is a mixed-use building that stands out with its unique design and features. Situated on a plot area of 3,563 square meters and surrounded by three roads, the tower boasts a built-up area of 19,900 square meters spread across 27 floors. It encompasses a four-star hotel, corporate offices, restaurants, retail shops, and a banquet hall, with three podium parking levels and one basement.

One of the standout features of Capital Tower is its placement and hierarchical composition, which create various levels of green terraces overlooking the sea view and defining the building's orientation. The linear facade treatment optimizes and filters natural light into the spaces while minimizing heat gain through the incorporation of several different materials and the alternation between solid and void areas in the facades.

The realization of Capital Tower involved the use of high-performance glass for the curtain walls, local materials such as stone cladding and perforated metal, and a structural system that includes piles foundation, concrete flat slab, open web joist, and steel structural glazing.

Technical specifications of Capital Tower include a land area of 3,563 square meters, a built-up area of 19,900 square meters, 27 floors, and a total height of 146 meters.

The design team behind Capital Tower includes Ahmed Taha and Hattan Basrawi as the principals and founders of Collaborative Architects + Partners, along with Mahmoud Mostafa as the senior project manager, Sayed Auf as the head of structural design, Mohamed Mourad as the head of MEP design, and Ahmed Alnagar, Yara Galal, Mohamed Mokhtar, and Mohamed Qotb as design architects.

Functionally, Capital Tower is divided into three main sections, each with its own entrance lobby and drop-off at the ground floor. The underground parking is exclusively for hotel guests and services, while the three floors of podium parking cater to the offices, banquet hall, and restaurants. The building is equipped with eight elevators, three for the offices, three for the hotel, and two for the banquet hall. The main entrance, located on the main street, is exclusive to the corporate offices at the top of the building. Users interact with the spaces through open views from main corridors around the internal atrium on hotel and office floors.

The design and construction of Capital Tower took place between January 2017 and November 2019 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Extensive research went into the development of Capital Tower, particularly for the sloping roof skin. The design team developed several modules and patterns for the glass panels, taking into consideration optimal natural lighting, ventilation, and high performance. The external building skin is composed of a steel frame structure fixed on the external concrete slabs to create green terraces.

One of the creative and technical challenges overcome during the design process was providing a successful solution for the structural system. The team had to support large spans while minimizing the depth of the solid slab and creating a clear view to the internal atrium without crossing columns.

Capital Tower is a mix of residential, office, and retail spaces, creating an iconic building that stands out in the cityscape. The tower's form was determined by its suitability for this mix configuration, with floor plates at the bottom for restaurants and hotel, and offices at the upper levels. The sloping glass facades define the shape and visual quality of the tower while maximizing the sea view towards the west side. The internal atrium encourages human interaction, and the green terraces reduce the carbon footprint and filter the air entering the building.

Capital Tower was awarded the Bronze A' Design Award in 2017 in the Architecture, Building, and Structure Design category. This prestigious award recognizes outstanding and creatively ingenious designs that authenticate experience and resourcefulness. The tower's design exhibits strong technical and creative skills and contributes to quality of life improvements, making the world a better place.