Riyadh Metro Station With 63 VT Units Starts Operations

The seven-story, 40-m-deep Riyadh Metro Qasr Al Hokm Downtown Station in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has begun operations, linking the Metro’s Orange and Blue lines and the bus network, Tunnels & Tunneling is among outlets to report. One of 22 stations built on the Orange Line, the station is served by 63 vertical-transportation (VT) units — 17 elevators and 46 escalators. Italy-based Webuild handled construction and engineering — which involved two tunnel-boring machines — on behalf of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC). Designed by Bollinger + Grohmann with Snøhetta Architects, the station spans 22,500 m2 and “blends tradition and modernity inspired by the principles of Salmani architecture,” according to RCRC. It boasts a striking stainless-steel canopy, a relaxation garden and energy-efficient features such as LED lighting and ventilation systems.