Azizia Tower
Azizia Tower is an unbuilt hotel and commercial proposal for a 1,400 m² site in Al Aziziyah, Makkah. The design addresses the relationship between seasonal accommodation, street-level commerce and a plot connecting two different street elevations. The scheme progressed through design and permitting before the site was repurposed for Azizia Stores.
- Location
- Al Aziziyah, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
- Type
- Hospitality & Commercial Tower
- Plot Area
- 1,400 m²
- Status
- Design & Permitting (Unbuilt, Repurposed for Azizia Stores)
- Year
- 2016
- Client
- Joharji Hotels
- Principal
- Ibrahim Nawaf Joharji (Architect & Owner’s Representative)
- Proposed Envelope
- Parametric faceted envelope, structural concrete, glass
The elongated site is shaped by the mountain slope. Rather than assuming a single entrance level, the proposal uses the difference between the upper and lower streets to distinguish guest arrival from service access. The ground-level arrangement and vertical circulation were developed around this sectional condition.
The facade studies combine a faceted surface with references to the Hijazi Rawshan. Angled elements give the tower depth and a changing appearance from the street. Their shading role was part of the design intent, rather than a measured result from an operating building.
The proposed programme places 280 rooms across 25 accommodation levels above a commercial base. Lifts and stairs connect these levels to the arrival areas, while the upper street offers a separate point of service access. The programme diagram records the relationship between commerce, parking, restaurants and guest rooms.
The project’s defining feature is its use of the site section to organize a dense hospitality programme. Related studies include Al Hajlah Hotel, also developed around Makkah’s terrain, and the completed Joharji Hotel.
