RIVA Engineering’s Fixed Skylights, part of the Haram Expansion Building at the Holy Mosque in Makkah, are a testament to the company’s commitment to quality and safety. While these skylights are smaller and non-operable compared to their Movable counterparts, they stand as a marvel in their own right.
Crafted with the same meticulous attention to detail that RIVA is renowned for, the Fixed Skylights illuminate the atrium below with natural sunlight, enhancing the space with a serene and inviting ambiance. Each skylight incorporates 58 individual panes of multi-layered laminated insulation glass, meticulously supported by a robust base frame. This frame is the foundation for a sophisticated stainless steel profile construction, showcasing RIVA’s engineering prowess.
The skylights are not only visually stunning, with gilded covers and 420 Swarovski crystals adding a touch of opulence, but they are also built for efficiency. Twenty custom-built fans are discreetly housed within each skylight, ensuring continuous ventilation. These fans, arranged in pairs within five boxes on each long side, are powered by robust actuators. This design allows for an efficient air exchange within the atrium and serves as a powerful smoke extraction system in the event of an emergency.
The Fixed Skylights project, known as the Shamiyah Fixed Skylights, comprises six skylights, each weighing 30 tons and covering an area of 100 square meters. The total weight amounts to 180 tons, with a combined area of 600 square meters. The attention to detail is further exemplified by the inclusion of 70 Swarovski crystals per skylight, each crystal nearly half a kilogram in weight, and the 16.5 square meters of gold-plated surfaces that adorn each skylight, summing up to a dazzling 99 square meters across the project.
RIVA Engineering’s Fixed Skylights are a perfect blend of form and function, reflecting the company’s dedication to creating spaces that are not only safe and functional but also architecturally significant.