The master plan of the large expanse of land to the west of the Holy Mosque in Makkah has gone through a number of iterations, starting
with the pre-selection of 69 international consultants down to a group of 14, who were asked to participate in an urban and architectural
competition on the basis of a dense, 1.2 million square meters of built-up areas. Following presentation to the international jury and extensive
deliberations, a second limited competition was performed between three finalists, again with the aim of establishing a master plan with revised
development criteria.
Since the conclusion of this exhaustive process, the master plan put forward by LACECO in that second competition has formed the basis of
all the subsequent development analysis with the Client.
The master plan of this hilly area respects its religious character yet provides a driving force for modernizing and developing the urban environment
of Makkah’s central district. In achieving this purpose, the master plan provides housing for up to 100,000 pilgrims or visitors of the city
and allows the development of traffic circulation around the city center in an integrated manner. Extensive public squares overlook the mosque
and serve primarily as prayer areas, offering an extension to the space around the Holy Ka’bah.
The master plan also integrates complete technical and infrastructure systems, serving the residential areas, the 130,000 m2 of commercial
spaces as well as the car parking for 10,000 vehicles.
Total land surface area: 230,000 m2
Total built-up area: 1,200,000 m2
Total project cost: USD 2 billion
Services provided: Detailed master plan - conceptual design of infrastructure
Completion date: March 2001