Case Study: Private Members’ Club in Riyadh — Bespoke Bronze Entrance with Calligraphic Detailing

Project Overview

Location: Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Building type: Private members’ club and meeting facility
Client: Saudi private equity group
Specification: Bespoke oversized double door with custom bronze casting, Arabic calligraphic panel relief, RC4 security, smart access control

The Brief

The client required entrance doors that would function as a cultural and artistic statement reflecting Saudi heritage while delivering the security and technology specification expected of a facility hosting high-net-worth and government visitors. The design brief specified Arabic calligraphy—a verse from classical Arabic poetry chosen by the client—to be rendered as a three-dimensional relief panel on the exterior face of the doors.

Design Development

KINGSHIELD collaborated with a Riyadh-based Arabic calligraphy artist to digitize the script at the required scale and resolution. The digital artwork was translated into a CNC tool path for 5-axis machining in solid bronze plate (C932 bearing bronze, 15mm thickness).

The bronze panels were hand-finished with a hand-rubbed patina—a three-stage chemical oxidation process followed by hand polishing—to achieve the depth of surface character the client required. Each door panel required 40 hours of hand finishing.

Security Integration

Behind the bronze exterior, the door’s structural engineering delivered full RC4 certification:

• 3mm cold-rolled steel substrate with internal box-section ribbing
• 9-point motorized multi-point locking system
• Access controlled by facial recognition + PIN + security staff override
• Video intercom with 180° wide-angle camera concealed in door surround
• Integration with building-wide security management system

Logistics

The complete door assembly—each leaf weighing 320kg—was air-freighted to Riyadh to meet the client’s commissioning deadline. KINGSHIELD’s installation team traveled with the shipment to supervise installation and commissioning of the smart access system over 5 days on site.

Client Response

The doors have become a photographic landmark—featured in two regional architecture publications and widely shared on social media by club members. The client commissioned a second bespoke door installation for an affiliated facility in Jeddah following the Riyadh project’s completion.