Gurit materials for new Makkah clock tower

Standing at 607m tall, the top 200m of the tower is clad with over 40,000m² of advanced FRP composite panels, including the largest clocks in the world - 43m in diameter, with 23m long minute hands. The cladding of the tower top features intricate calligraphy and ornamental patterning, finished in glass and ceramic tiles and the 23m diameter crescent at the top is a fully self-supporting FRP structure.

Gurit supplied a range of materials, including a new fire retardant wet laminating system, Ampreg 21FR, which was developed for lamination of the façade, which was carried out on direct CNC cut moulds using Gurit’s T-Paste tooling paste on a polystyrene blank block. The clock hands also presented a particular challenge due to their long slender geometry and the potential for high wind loading. These were manufactured using Gurit’s WE91-2 carbon fibre prepreg material and Corecell T Foam structural core, originally developed for large wind turbine blades.

Dr Mark Hobbs, senior engineer, engineered structures at Gurit commented: “This has been a fascinating project and has presented numerous challenges, from its sheer scale and complexity to the integration of finishes and lighting into the cladding panels. It has been a pleasure to work in the talented multinational design and production team to realise the vision of the client and architect.

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