Lord Foster and Zaha Hadid 'asked to redevelop Mecca'

Lord Foster and Zaha Hadid, two of Britain's best-known architects, are reported to be candidates for potentially the world's biggest building project: redesigning Mecca.

The city's al-Haram mosque is already the world's highest-occupancy building Photo: AFP

The two architects are reported to be among a group of 18 who have been approached over a commission to redevelop Islam's holiest city, which is in Saudi Arabia's Makkah Province.

Authorities from the city are seeking a design for a complex of mosques capable of holding three million people. About that number visit the city each year during the Hajj pilgramage, which all Muslims are supposed to make at least once in their lifetime.

The city's al-Haram mosque can currently host 900,000 people - making it the world's highest-occupancy building - but expansion is required. It is thought the plan has been approved by King Abdullah.

The Architects Journal reported that the two British architects have been approached to take on different elements of the project.

It is thought that Foster + Partners is among 10 firms asked to examine potential for development of the northwards expansion of the Haram mosque. Meanwhile Ms Hadid has reportedly been asked to focus on the mosque itself as well as "revisiting the whole area of the central district". More