Omrania has engaged the services of BMG Financial Group as a financial consultant to help Omrania become listed on the Saudi stock exchange. The hiring of BMG Financial Group represents an important early step in the process of becoming a publicly traded company in Saudi Arabia. Eventually Omrania intends to be listed on…
Read MoreArchitecture for Transit and a New Riyadh
After decades of car-centric planning, Riyadh is embracing a more balanced transport strategy. The new Riyadh Metro— with a major station designed by Omrania — is the centerpiece of a sustainable Riyadh. By Maher Shkoukani, Senior Projects Manager Freeways, wide roads, and automobile infrastructure supported Riyadh’s phenomenal growth from a population of 150,000…
Read MoreRemembering Sinan, master builder and architect
The great architect-engineer Sinan combined technical mastery and aesthetic vision to create an astounding series of buildings, monuments, and public works at the height of the Ottoman Empire. Few architects or engineers in history cast a larger shadow that Sinan (1489–1588), whose majestic structures and engineering projects redefined the built environment of Istanbul…
Read MoreBook Review : The Arab City – Architecture and Representation
There is perhaps no better place to examine the forging of identity through architecture — and the layering of old and new — than the cities of the Middle East and North Africa. The Arab City: Architecture and Representation analyzes contemporary architectural and urban production in the Middle East, including both the rising cities of…
Read MoreSEC HQ cover story in Gulf Construction magazine
. Our new SEC headquarters complex is the cover story of the June 2017 issue of Gulf Construction magazine The interview features extensive quotes from the project’s team at Omrania. The project “has been designed with the ultimate comfort of its employees in mind,” the accompanying article, titled “Breaking New Ground,” says. Gulf Construction…
Read MoreRecap from Omrania’s 2017 Corporate Iftar Event
. On Monday 12 June 2017, 300 of Omrania’s team and guests gathered to participate in the company’s 44th annual corporate Iftar event hosted at the distinguished Al-Faisaliah Hotel in Riyadh. Following the Iftar banquet, Mr. Basem Al-Shihabi — Managing Director and co-founder of Omrania — addressed the audience and presented the three newest…
Read MoreTurning constraints into design opportunities – CMA Tower, Riyadh
. This is one in a series of blog posts covering the intelligent, functional, and sustainable features of the Capital Market Authority (CMA) building, an 80-story class-A office skyscraper in Riyadh designed as a joint venture by Omrania and HOK. By: Philip Willmetts, CMA Project Manager (Detailed Design) – June 2017 Sited on…
Read MorePier Luigi Nervi and the Marriage of Architecture and Engineering
Operating at the intersection of architecture and engineering, Pier Luigi Nervi explored the formal and structural limitations of his concrete throughout his distinguished career. Italian structural innovator Pier Luigi Nervi (June 21, 1891–January 9, 1979) was described by architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner as “the most brilliant artist in reinforced concrete of our time.”…
Read MorePeek inside the new Radisson Blu
. Boldly contemporary, beautifully designed interiors complement the architecture of the new Radisson Blu Hotel and Residences located in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter. The interior design concept by SC Design+ took its cue from the architectural design by Omrania. It combines a clean, modern sensibility with a respect for context. Comprising 114 designer rooms as…
Read MoreEco-City Planning – Organic Urbanism
. This post is part of a series on the planning and design of eco-cities of the future, particularly in the Gulf region, incorporating case studies and contemporary research. By Hugh Kidman, Chief Design Architect Nature’s ability to adapt to changing conditions can serve as a model to planners and architects looking to create sustainable…
Read MoreThe Great Mosque of Cordoba, a timeless masterpiece
. Unlike works of architecture conceived as a complete whole, the Great Mosque of Cordoba shows how modular design enables multiple expansions and adaptation over time. An extraordinary achievement of medieval architecture, the Great Mosque of Cordoba, Spain was expanded three times after the original structure was completed in 787 CE. Each of the…
Read MoreConstruction Update: Hilton Riyadh Hotel and Residences
The new Hilton Riyadh is in the final stages of construction. The 5-star hotel and furnished apartment complex is designed to surprise and delight — the result of a joint venture between Omrania and Goettsch Partners, with interior design by Omrania and David Wrenn Interiors. The two pinwheel-shaped towers are joined by a three-level…
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