Structural Designer
AECOM
Client Name
Medina Airport JV – TAV in joint venture with Al Arab
Location
Medina, Saudi Arabia
Scott Brownrigg Architects
OSM Engineering and Consulting Ltd
Arabian International Company (AIC)
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Medina’s newly transformed airport is a major new international hub for the region and a vital gateway for millions of Islamic pilgrims during the annual Hajj. The terminal’s elegant column design is inspired by palm trees, a symbol of peace.
The palm tree columns provide structural support for the terminal’s roof, which is designed to cope with sudden, heavy rainfall. Each palm tree crown is supported on a reinforced concrete column, 9 metres high by 1.5 metres in diameter, and springing from the suspended, in situ concrete slab.
Judge's comment: The judges were impressed by the rigour with which the structural system was developed to optimise off-site pre-fabrication and on-site construction and thus enable rapid completion without compromising quality. The palm tree structures form the primary support for the roof as well as the central theme of the building's elegant appearance. The excellent sustainability credentials of the building also caught the judges' attention, and the significance of the structural engineers efforts in achieving this were noted.
Judge's comment:
The judges were impressed by the rigour with which the structural system was developed to optimise off-site pre-fabrication and on-site construction and thus enable rapid completion without compromising quality. The palm tree structures form the primary support for the roof as well as the central theme of the building's elegant appearance. The excellent sustainability credentials of the building also caught the judges' attention, and the significance of the structural engineers efforts in achieving this were noted.