For its Hajj Terminal design, SOM utilized the highly identifiable form of the Bedouin tent to create a marvel that was the world’s largest cable-stayed, fabric-roofed structure. Completed in 1981, the Hajj Terminal serves as the physically welcoming, culturally symbolic, and structurally innovative portal for over one million pilgrims annually.

Project Facts

Completion Year: 1981
Site Area: 120 acres
Project Area: 2,800,000 ft²
Building Height: 150 ft
Number of Stories: 3

Project Awards

2010 • AIA • National 25 Year Award
1983 • AIA • National Honor Award for Architecture
1983 • World Architecture • Aga Khan Award for Architecture
1982 • AIA - New York City Chapter • Distinguished Architecture Award
1982 • Industrial Fabrics Association • International President's Award of Merit
1981 • Progressive Architecture • P/A Award: Architectural Design

Using indigenous archetypes and case studies, SOM developed a series of vast, suspended tent-like structures that utilized minimal energy to keep the space cool in the hot, arid desert. Made of a teflon-coated fiberglass membrane, the translucent fabric of the tents diffuses soft light throughout the naturally ventilated space below.