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- Concealed fastening for crystal geode
The Solitaire Mall has become a new architectural highlight 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 luxury brand mall features a special, challenging design with its inclinations in various directions. On 16,000 m², the building envelope was clad with porcelain and ceramic facade panels, which are securely and firmly anchored with a fischer complete 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 enables a striking combination of aesthetics, fractal geometry, and spatial design, enhancing the perception of being gently enveloped by a complexly 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 consultant for Construction Monitoring. 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 offers a leasable area of 104,155 m². The Solitaire Mall houses three underground levels with infrastructure and parking facilities, three above-ground levels with diverse retail, dining, entertainment, wellness, and sports offerings, as well as a rooftop level serving as an architectural and functional highlight.
The project already presented several challenges in the planning phase, which were successfully overcome thanks to the good coordination of all project participants. "The division of the building into 15 zones due to expansion joints, the high level of fine workmanship required because of the luxury brands housed there, and the execution of the fractal geometry demanded special expertise," says Imad Eloueini.
The facade of the Solitaire Mall is an architectural and technical masterpiece, featuring slopes in various directions that create a special, challenging design. To securely and firmly anchor 16,000 m² of porcelain and ceramic facade panels, a complete fischer solution for the VHF was used. Horizontally running profiles of the ATK 103S system were installed on the already mounted steel base structure 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 Zykon 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’s appearance as well as the required design freedom and performance in facade fastening.
The customer of Solitaire Mall chose us as their trusted supplier due to our long-standing good reputation for providing high-quality, reliable, and innovative fastening solutions.
The fischer complete system used for the VHF stood out compared to alternative solutions due to faster installation and higher precision in executing the façade with its irregular shapes and inclinations in various directions.“
The loads acting on the substructure from the façade (wind loads and dead loads) are transferred to the steel structure and from there are dissipated through the construction. The façade panels could be easily and quickly hooked into the open C-profile of the horizontal elements using clamps pre-assembled on the back.
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 façade and passive fire protection from a single source ensured that the technical requirements of the project could be efficiently met. Furthermore, fischer injection anchors were used for various fastening tasks in both concrete and hollow block masonry.
Osama Farhat, National Sales Manager at the fischer national subsidiary in Saudi Arabia, highlights the company’s success and explains: „The customer of Solitaire Mall chose us as their trusted supplier due to our long-standing excellent reputation for providing high-quality, reliable, and innovative fastening solutions. We are proud to have offered a solution ideally tailored to the customer and the project that guarantees 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 seeking reliable fastening systems for a wide range of applications. Furthermore, fischer is characterized by its dedication to exceptional service and value engineering, providing customers with security and confidence at every stage of their projects. Imad Eloueini is very satisfied with the result: „Throughout 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 with its local trading partner Brooq Al-Amaan Trading Est. (BAT) on the project.
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, which lasted over a year. Our team was on site to conduct pull-out tests and monitor the installation process. Furthermore, detailed BIM modeling was provided to ensure quality and precision. Through this 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.
