Raffles Towers, Jeddah

Project Overview

Aqua Towers: The Aqua Raffles Hotel and Residences is a prestigious high-end mixed-use project located along the prime Jeddah Corniche Road. The development consists of two towers with a shared podium, designed to offer luxurious accommodations and modern amenities.

STATION was appointed to implement GRC (Glass Reinforced Concrete) cladding panels for the facade, providing a lightweight alternative to traditional precast concrete cladding. This innovative solution significantly reduced the overall weight of the buildings, saving thousands of tons in excess weight.

The GRC panels manufactured by STATION have proven to be an effective and reliable alternative to precast concrete cladding, achieving key architectural and operational goals:

• Matched Finish: The GRC finish successfully matched the previously approved polished precast concrete cladding by using co-polymer cementitious granules on the first GRC layer.
• Large Panel Sizes: Large panel sizes were achieved as planned by the designer, utilizing the slab-to-slab GRC Cladding System.
• Integrated Structure: GRC punched windows, protruding from the building, were manufactured without the need for additional concrete or steel structures, as the panels are a single unit from slab to slab.
• Performance: This lightweight and efficient system met the design requirements for resisting forces and movements in such a high-rise structure. The GRC sandwich panels fulfilled all necessary design specifications for U-value, condensation resistance, and acoustic performance.