Hajj Terminal – King Abdulaziz Airport | SOM

The terminal is at the King Abdulaziz International Airport, located 43 miles west of the Holy City of Mecca. The Hajj Terminal  is designed by SOM as part of the master plan for the broader airport and air force base facility.

The design team conceived an open-air facility sheltered by a concrete shell structure, but it quickly became apparent that the harsh desert climate required a more innovative solution. Instead of concrete, the team settled on a Teflon-coated fiberglass fabric from Owens Corning. The fiberglass was made of Beta yarn, which is finer than silk but has the strength of steel. A Teflon coating reflects 76 percent of the solar radiation, maintaining a comfortable 80 degree temperature under the tent structure even when temperatures outside reach 130 degrees; it also allows about 7 percent of the sunlight to pass through. The naturally ventilated building is topped by 210 semi-conical, Teflon-coated fiberglass roof units that are contained within a total of 10 modules. The modules are supported by 45-meter-high steel pylons.The fabric  allows the sun to cast a warm light over the support area and at night, it becomes a great reflective surface.

As Khan described in an interview with Progressive Architecture magazine, “It creates the spirit, it gives you a feeling of tranquility and a sense of continuity, of transition into the real place, which is Mecca“.

Project Information :
Architect : Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)
Location : Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Project Year : 1981
Total Area : 260,000 square meters