King Abdullah Pilgrims Center Master Plan
King Abdullah’s Pilgrims Center Master Plan offers a vision for providing a vibrant and attractive new gateway for pilgrims arriving and departing Madinah.
Client
Technical Committee King Abdullah Haramain Projects, Ministry of Higher Education Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Project Size
160 hectares
Professional Services
Master Planning
Urban Design/Planning
King Abdullah’s Pilgrims Center Master Plan offers a vision for providing a vibrant and attractive new gateway for pilgrims arriving and departing Madinah. The plan is centered around a logistical hub that offers state of the art processing facilities and a multi-modal interchange offering exceptional connectivity at both a regional and local level.
The plan is arranged around an integrated, highly permeable street and open space network that is intended to provide a high level of amenity and functionality to the 200,000 visitors expected to visit the site at peak periods.
The plan integrates a mix of land uses, including retail, government services, a range of housing products (both short term apartments and hotel facilities and housing to support a permanent population of 40,000), and a range of community facilities.
The plan is oriented around a pedestrian retail spine that is oriented towards the Prophet’s Mosque, the minarets of which will be central to the viewplane to visitors of the site emerging from the gateway transit hub situated in the south-eastern corner of the site. The gateway hub is defined by a pair of taller towers that mark the arrival point to the site and create a distinctive city gateway. Taller towers also mark the corners of the site.
Meet the team
Jess
Alexander
Jess Alexander is an accomplished landscape architect specializing in urban design and master planning, particularly in the Middle East North Africa region. He has earned a reputation for leading and managing complex master planning and design efforts.
