Gulf Construction Online

Saudi Arabia

Clear vision

01 May 2017

Bayat Plaza is the only skyscraper in Jeddah that has a 100 per cent reflective glass facade.

An engineering marvel in Jeddah that is as stunning from the inside as on the outside is expected to welcome its first residents by the year-end.

Bayat Plaza will be amongst the only residential structures in the coastal city with a 100 per cent reflective glass façade and by far the tallest development for miles around.

Located off the intersection of Madina Road and King Abdullah Road, the Bayat Plaza is the first-of-its-kind residential and retail real estate development for the Sabban Group in Saudi Arabia.

The project will include two adjacent towers that will offer 266 luxury residences including two-bedroom apartments, three- and four-bedroom ‘Sky Villas’ and five-bedroom penthouses.

Bayat Boulevard, a boutique shopping mall on the ground floor of the development, will offer residents and the public a host of new outlets, from mini-markets and clothing stores to cafés and restaurants.

Artist’s impressions of a penthouse.

The first floor of Bayat Plaza will be exclusively for residents and will include Bayat’s ‘Sky Gardens’.

Currently, the project is 95 per cent complete with work expected to finish by September this year. The curtain-wall façade is 78 per cent complete and once the tower cranes have been removed, this aspect of the project will be a priority, Arron Browne, managing director of Sloanes Real Estate Brokers, tells Gulf Construction.

Sloanes Real Estate Brokers is a subsidiary of the Sabban Group of Companies.

Fit-outs for the retail units start from August onwards to allow plenty of time to complete installations and minimum disruption to residents. Handover to buyers will be done in December 2017.

Ground was broken on Bayat Plaza in April 2014, with the initial design having been finalised six months earlier. The vast majority of architectural and internal design was the responsibility of XYZ Architects, a Dubai-based consultant, while Afrina Trading and Construction is the main contractor under a SR350-million ($93.3 million) deal.

Elaborating on the design, Browne says: “The design for both twin-towers was created to make it stand out from the crowd and to reflect its surroundings. Whilst this may seem like a dichotomy, the use of reflective glass, from floor to finishing crown, over 120 and 150 m respectively for each tower, has had a huge impact on the landscape. Placing the towers at a certain angle allows for uninterrupted views, whilst the height of each floor (over 4.3 m slab to slab) creates an enormous window space from every single room in the house.”

The vision for developing the landmark project, he says, was born from the need for quality living for Jeddah’s inhabitants.

Artist’s impressions of the shopping boulevard.

Once inside Bayat Plaza, it is easy to see that care and attention has been paid to one specific area: quality.

“Our planning research showed that both buyers and tenants were dissatisfied with what developers were producing, so we used our expertise and experience to produce quality high-rise living at mid-range prices. This has been achieved and it is purely down to the close monitoring of construction and value engineering throughout,” Browne points out.

To get planning permission for such a vast development in the heart of Jeddah, the developer had to submit a very detailed and technically challenging traffic study. However, that exercise was hugely beneficial and allows for entry to the towers from both sides of Madina Road. This means separate retail and residents’ entry and exit points as well as paid parking and remote access parking for cardholders. The set-back regulations have also ensured enough space at retail and residential lobby areas for drop-offs which will not affect traffic flow, Browne adds.

Bayat Tower One offers 176 units - eight units per level over 22 floors - and two five-bedroom penthouses on the 24th floor. Bayat Tower Two features the Sky Villas and four duplex penthouses on the 32nd floor. Sky Villas, which are duplex, comprise 56 three-bedroom and 28 four-bedroom villas spread over 30 floors.

Boulevard

On the ground floor is the Bayat Boulevard, with almost 2,400 sq m of retail space, broken into 15 retail outlets, varying from 68 to 369 sq m. Outlets will be selected that are conducive to vertical compound living to ensure the retailers are suited to the inhabitants of Bayat Plaza. Allowance has already been made for a mini-market, restaurant, cafés, pharmacy, ATMs, etc.

The project features a host of amenities including a prayer room at the mezzanine level for residents and retail visitors. The first floor includes a family function room, games room, children’s play area, reading rooms, business centres and the Sky Gardens. There is also a 400-sq-m state-of-the-art gymnasium planned.

There are more than 420 parking spaces spread over three levels. These include 28 retail parking spaces on the ground floor, and 28 retail and 141 residential spaces on the first basement level, and 224 spaces on basement level two residents only.

The focus of the interior design efforts has been to ensure neutrality with quality. The subtle shades of light grey and natural wood make it very easy to blend any furnishing style. The floor-to-ceiling height is 3.6 m and all doors throughout the homes are the same height, giving a sense of grandeur. Light switches and electrical sockets are black-edged, brushed chrome with blue indicator lights and the kitchen is clinically clean with gloss white cabinets, sparkling black granite work tops and sleek black appliances (all Teka).

Bayat Plaza’s competitive edge also lies in the price of its units. “Our price points are certainly the best value for money. Our two-bedroom apartments start from SR1.2 million ($319,965) and are over 115 sq m. However, we provide absolutely everything that a resident would need to move in without delay: a fully-fitted kitchen with built-in fridge and freezer, built-in oven and microwave, built-in dishwasher and washing machine. All our wardrobes are built-in and fully configured inside too. This is not the norm in Saudi Arabia and it is usual to have to ‘fit-out’ your home once it is purchased. To a large extent, we are targeting first-time buyers and to this end, we have taken care of these expensive items,” he concludes.