NJD`S HEART Project

This project involves the major renovation and expansion of a landmark high-rise development in Riyadh. The goal is to modernize the existing structures while honoring the city’s identity through a “Salmani” architectural style—a blend of contemporary design and traditional Najdi heritage. The complex features a main Tower with a redesigned lobby, a Long-Stay Accommodation building with 76 units, a new multi-purpose Hall, and a massive parking expansion to accommodate 1,000 vehicles.

Upgrading the fire safety of an existing landmark is far more complex than building a new one. The main challenge was retrofitting modern safety systems into an older structure that was being heavily modified. With the addition of 10 new elevators and a unique “underfloor” air conditioning system, we had to completely rethink how to control smoke, as these changes created new paths for smoke to travel. Additionally, expanding the parking to 1,000 cars and adding a crowded event hall introduced high fire risks that the original building infrastructure was never designed to handle.

Red Helmet Engineering developed a specialized “retrofit” safety strategy that brought the building up to current Saudi codes without compromising the design. We engineered advanced smoke control systems specifically for the new elevator shafts. For the expanded parking and the new hall, we designed high-capacity ventilation and sprinkler systems to protect large crowds and vehicles. This approach ensured the landmark meets the highest modern safety standards.