Gulf Construction Online - D’Appolonia designs Riyadh heritage hotel

Saudi Focus

D’Appolonia designs Riyadh heritage hotel

01 September 2016

D’Appolonia, the independent engineering consulting company of Rina Group, is currently working on the design of a new five-star heritage hotel in the historical Samhan district of Ad’Diriyah in Riyadh.

This project, which aims to bring together the historical look and feel of approximately 40 historic mud buildings in the Samhan district with a modern five-star hotel, is under the supervision of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, and is the first hospitality-related renovation project in the country.

D’Appolonia was appointed as lead consultant for the design of the hotel by Nuzul Saudi Heritage Hospitality Company, established as an initiative led by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTNH) to maintain the national heritage through utilising some historical sites and buildings across the kingdom as hotels specialised in heritage hospitality.

D’Appolonia will provide engineering services up to detailed design development, and support Nuzul with technical supervision and recommendations for construction according to the Breeam (BRE Environmental Assessment Method) International 2013 scheme and D’Appolonia’s quality management system.

The project area sits inside the Unesco buffer zone, so all techniques used to restore buildings also need to be compliant with Unesco protocols.

D’Appolonia project manager Andrea Tomarchio said: “We are pleased to be able to preserve the integrity and heritage of these historic buildings. Ensuring that the design is environment-friendly and energy efficient has been a key consideration in making the site available for modern use in a sustainable way. That will mean it lasts for years to come.”

D’Appolonia infrastructure and transport business development manager Alessandro Odasso noted: “Our long-standing expertise in heritage requalification engineering lent itself perfectly to this project. We have carried out many similar design and supervision projects in historic sites of Italy and in the hospitality industry, providing us with extensive experience for this design project.”

The proposed hotel design includes a suq in which traditional goods will be marketed and a museum area where traditional construction systems will be displayed and workshops can be conducted to teach restoration techniques, including those used to restore the Samhan district.

This unique experience will highlight the restoration of the heritage site and reflect the country’s traditions, origins and culture. These are key elements in passing technical knowledge and skills down to future generations, which, due to the sustainable design of the hotel, can be taught for many years to come, D’Appolonia said.