RNL submitted this competition proposal for the design of a pilgrimage hotel on a challenging site abutting the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca. Proximity to this sacred mosque and the client’s desire for contextual and spiritual responsiveness drove a careful design process layering many objectives. Primary goals included the creation of a spiritual retreat, restoring the site’s historic topographical prominence and connecting guests to the mosque across a wide freeway that bisects the site. An uninterrupted plaza covers nearly the entire site, creating an integrated architecture and landscape design solution that unifies the project. Prayer rooms, outdoor spaces and a cultural center are arranged on a central path enveloped by guestroom blocks.