Ministry of Interior building
| Ministry of Interior building | |
|---|---|
مبنى وزارة الداخلية | |
.jpg) The building in 2007 | |
 | |
| Alternative names | Spaceship Flying Saucer |
| General information | |
| Type |
|
| Location | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| Coordinates | 24°40′14″N 46°41′45″E / 24.67058°N 46.69575°E |
| Current tenants | Ministry of Interior |
| Construction started | 1980 |
| Construction stopped | 1989 |
| Completed | 1992 |
| Height | 55 m (180 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 6 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architecture firm | Archisystems International |
| Main contractor | Hyundai E&C |
The Ministry of Interior building (Arabic: مبنى وزارة الداخلية) is a 55-meter high six-story government building in the al-Olaya district of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, that houses the main headquarters of the country's Ministry of Interior.[1] The building is a popular landmark in the city[2][3] and is known for its inverted truncated square pyramid design surmounted by a dome,[4] earning it nicknames like the Flying Saucer and the Spaceship by Western visitors.[5][6][7] Designed by Archisystems and architects Musalli, Shakir and Mandill,[8] it was constructed between 1980 and 1989 by Hyundai E&C.[9][10]
Overview
[edit]The exterior design of the building was completed in 1980 by a Canada-based firm.[11] It was commissioned when Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz was the country's interior minister.
In the May 1987 edition of the Gulf Construction magazine, it documented the progress of construction of the building. The magazine described the building under-construction in its "unclad skeletal state." Steelwork erection work started in December 1985.[12] Major construction works were completed by 1989, and the ministry completely shifted its offices to the precincts in 1992.
The interior of the dome surmounted over the inverted truncated square-shaped pyramid was manufactured by Zahner in the period 1988–1990.[13]
The building annually gets illuminated in green color, the color of the country's national flag, during the celebrations of public holidays like Saudi National Day and Saudi Founding Day.[14][15][16]
References
[edit]- ^ Engineering, Canadian Society for Civil; Structures, International Association for Shell and Spatial (1992). Innovative Large Span Structures: IASS-CSCE International Conference 1992 : Concept, Design, Construction. Canadian Society for Civil Engineering. ISBN 978-0-921303-39-8.
- ^ واس (2023-09-23). "أحد أبرز مباني العاصمة.. "مبنى الداخلية" يكتسي الأخضر ابتهاجاً باليوم الوطني". صحيفة سبق الالكترونية (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-03-22.
- ^ منطقة الرياض: دراسة تاريخية وجغرافية واجتماعية (in Arabic). المملكة العربية السعودية، وزارة الداخلية، إمارة منطقة الرياض،. 1999. ISBN 978-9960-660-45-5.
- ^ ʻĀlam al-bināʾ (in Arabic). Jamʻīyat Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-Takhṭīṭ wa-al-Miʻmārī. 1991.
- ^ "Revisiting Riyadh in Saudi Arabia - PENDOWN". 2019-12-05. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
- ^ "Future Imperfect". Ibraaz. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
- ^ "NEW DIVES IN AIN HIT". saudicaves.com. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
- ^ "Riyadh Architecture in One Hundred Years". Center for the Study of the Built Environment. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
- ^ "Hyundai E&C marks its 74th anniversary: 1947 vs. 2021 > SPECIAL REPORT > News Room > Hyundai E&C". en.hdec.kr. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
- ^ "مبنى وزارة الداخلية أثناء مراحل تشييده..فيديو". صحيفة صدى الالكترونية (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-03-22.
- ^ محمد, حسن، نوبي بن. الإلهام المعماري (in Arabic). KSUP.
- ^ "شاهد.. فيديو نادر لمرحلة بناء مقر وزارة الداخلية بالرياض.. والكشف عن اسم الشركة المنفذة". صحيفة المرصد (in Arabic). 2023-04-16. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
- ^ cmorris (2017-01-04). "Ministry of Interior | Zahner — Innovation and Collaboration to Achieve the Incredible". Retrieved 2024-03-22.
- ^ واس (2024-02-22). "مباني "الداخلية" وقطاعاتها الأمنية تكتسي بالأخضر احتفاءً بيوم التأسيس". صحيفة سبق الالكترونية (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-03-22.
- ^ ""الداخلية" بقطاعاتها كافة تحتفي باليوم الوطني". www.alriyadh.com. 26 September 2020. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ^ أبها :الوطن (2023-09-23). "المناطق تحتفل باليوم الوطني". Watanksa (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-03-22.