Further information and case study for this project can be found at the De Gruyter Birkhäuser Modern Construction Online database

The following architectural theory-based case study is not available at Modern Construction Online

Façade Design of the Al Faisaliah Shopping Mall Addition, Riyadh

The expansion of the Al Faisaliah Shopping Mall in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, exemplifies a sophisticated approach to commercial façade design in extreme climates. The project, completed in the early 2020s, features façade engineering by Newtecnic and architectural design by Gensler. Located in the heart of Riyadh’s commercial district, the extension redefines the relationship between heritage and high-performance building envelopes.

This case study focuses on the façade's technological and cultural dimensions rather than its architectural composition, positioning it within the lineage of climate-responsive design principles documented in Modern Construction Handbook, Modern Construction Envelopes and Modern Construction Case Studies (Watts, A.). The façade is not merely a visual element but a climatic, spatial, and symbolic interface—mediating thermal conditions while engaging with regional identity. The façade system developed for this project served as a conceptual and technical precedent for the system implemented in Project 07, featured in the second edition of Modern Construction Case Studies.

Drawing from High Modernist precedents of the 1960s and 1970s, the design references a time when architects began to blend passive environmental strategies with tectonic expression and cultural meaning. In this context, the Al Faisaliah Mall addition continues a tradition of expressive yet pragmatic environmental design for the desert.

Façade design concept

Newtecnic’s bioclimatic engineering strategy transforms the façade into a performative skin that simultaneously addresses climatic moderation, cultural reference, and urban presence. Layered components—comprising solar shading, ventilated cavities, and geometric patterning—create a façade that is simultaneously functional and symbolic.

By controlling solar gain, moderating airflow, and diffusing daylight, the envelope improves indoor environmental quality while reducing reliance on mechanical cooling. The abstracted Islamic motifs embedded within the design evoke the traditional mashrabiya, delivering cultural continuity without compromising modern construction logic. As a result, the façade becomes a contemporary artefact—technologically advanced and locally resonant.

Environmental and technical strategies

The façade system integrates multiple environmental strategies into a unified architectural language. Dynamic shading is achieved through fixed and operable elements such as brise-soleil and perforated metal panels. These are strategically oriented and dimensioned based on solar studies, ensuring effective shading throughout the day. The deeply recessed glazing further reduces solar exposure while contributing depth and rhythm to the façade.

Glazing systems utilise low-emissivity (low-e), double-glazed units designed to reduce solar heat gain while preserving high levels of visible light transmission. Glare is controlled through selective fritting and tinting, providing optimal conditions for retail display and occupant comfort.

Behind the external shading lies a ventilated cavity, which allows passive air movement to reduce heat transfer to the building’s interior. This ventilated façade also houses lighting infrastructure and service routes, allowing for clean integration of building systems while maintaining ease of access for maintenance.

Materials were selected for their ability to endure Riyadh’s extreme environmental conditions. Anodised aluminium and stainless steel resist dust abrasion, UV degradation, and corrosion. Modular façade panels were factory-fabricated to ensure quality and enable efficient on-site installation. The materials’ tonal range references the local desert palette while contributing to the building’s tactile identity.

Building systems were fully integrated with the façade design. Motorised shading devices are managed through the building management system (BMS), adjusting in response to solar radiation and internal comfort metrics. Lighting and mechanical services are concealed within façade cavities, allowing technological performance to remain subordinate to architectural clarity.

Architectural and urban integration

Although secondary to its technical function, the façade makes a significant architectural contribution to the public realm. Its rhythmic geometric patterning is derived from Islamic ornament, rendered in modern materials and assemblies. At pedestrian level, transparent glazed entrances and shaded colonnades create a comfortable and welcoming environment, supporting foot traffic and wayfinding.

At night, LED lighting embedded within the façade animates the structure, establishing the mall as a landmark destination in the city. This dual performance—environmental during the day and symbolic at night—demonstrates the façade’s central role in shaping spatial identity.

High Modernist precedents and influences

The design builds upon a lineage of High Modernist works in which climate, material expression, and cultural abstraction were synthesised into holistic building envelopes. A notable historical precedent is Hassan Fathy’s New Gourna Village (1940s-50s), where traditional mashrabiya-inspired latticework was innovatively applied in mud brick construction to create passive cooling and cultural expression through architectural detailing. This approach demonstrated how vernacular shading devices and patterned façades could be adapted for both climatic control and identity.

Other key influences include SOM’s Haj Terminal in Jeddah, which uses tensile structures for passive cooling and monumental shading; Paul Rudolph’s Burroughs Wellcome Headquarters, with its deep façades and solar articulation; Kenzo Tange’s Kuwait Embassy in Tokyo, featuring abstracted geometric screens; and Le Corbusier’s works at La Tourette and Chandigarh, where brise-soleil become compositional devices. Underpinning many of these is Victor Olgyay’s bioclimatic theory, particularly the use of orientation and passive airflow to achieve internal comfort.

These precedents contribute five key principles that are clearly reflected in the Al Faisaliah Mall addition. Firstly, the façade functions as an effective climate filter by employing recessed glazing and ventilated cavities to manage thermal exchange. Secondly, cultural modernism is articulated through the use of Islamic geometries, which are rendered within a modular, prefabricated material system. Thirdly, solar-responsive design is realized through shading devices and perforated screens that are carefully oriented to respond to the sun’s path. Fourthly, the construction process is rationalized through modularity and prefabrication, ensuring both economic efficiency and precision in assembly. Finally, light and shadow are intentionally deployed as spatial design tools, with both natural daylight and artificial illumination contributing to the dynamic identity of the building envelope. Integration of services is concealed within the façade itself, maintaining aesthetic consistency while enhancing building performance.

Conclusion

The façade of the Al Faisaliah Shopping Mall addition, engineered by Newtecnic with architectural design by Gensler, represents a contemporary continuation of High Modernist ideals, reinterpreted for the cultural and climatic conditions of the Gulf. It stands as a case study in how commercial envelopes can operate simultaneously as environmental filters, cultural artefacts, and urban beacons.

By combining passive strategies with digital control systems and culturally grounded design motifs, the façade exemplifies the fusion of technological performance and symbolic expression. As explored in Modern Construction Handbook, Modern Construction Envelopes, and Modern Construction Case Studies (Watts, A.), this project reinforces the potential of façade engineering as a critical discipline in modern architecture—especially in climates where identity, performance, and experience must coexist in balance.

References

Bahadori, M.N. (2014) Solar energy and architecture: climate responsive design in the hot arid regions. Abingdon: Taylor & Francis.

Edwards, B. (2011) Sustainable architecture: European directives and building design. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.

Gensler (2022) Al Faisaliah Mall expansion – project overview. Gensler Publications.

Olgyay, V. (2015) Design with climate: bioclimatic approach to architectural regionalism. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Silver, S. (2013) Facade engineering. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.

Watts, A. (2016). Modern Construction Case Studies. 1st ed. Basel: Birkhäuser.

Watts, A. (2019). Modern Construction Envelopes. 3rd ed. Basel: Birkhäuser.

Watts, A. (2023). Modern Construction Handbook. 6th ed. Basel: Birkhäuser.