Like a crystalline form in the state of expansion, the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center's Research and Office Complex (ROC) will rise from the desert in dramatic fashion, with a network of bright-white, six-sided cells combining to form an angular, shell-like façade.
The project's design architect, Zaha Hadid Architects, released construction photos of the job site in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The steel framework for the 216,500-sf complex is complete, and work on the exterior is well under way (as images from SkyscraperCity.com show below).
The ROC will feature a series of shaded outdoor spaces, courtyards, entrances, meeting areas, indoor gardens, corridors, underground tunnels, and roof terraces. It's part of a larger petroleum research complex that also includes a residential community (191 townhouses) and leisure and sports facilities, such as indoor and outdoor swimming pools, gymnasiums, aerobics rooms, a bowling alley, and sports grounds, as well as a library, restaurant, and supermarket.
The design team from Zaha Hadid Architects, led by Hadid, Patrik Schumacher, and DaeWha Kang, describe their design approach for the ROC: "The center is inherently forward-looking; its architecture also looks to the future, embracing a formal language capable of continual expansions or transformation with no compromise in visual integrity."
"The center emerges from the desert landscape as a cellular structure of crystalline forms, shifting and evolving in response to environmental conditions and functional requirements. Consistent organizational, spatial strategies drive an adaptive approach, with each component, each individual building, fitted to the purpose it serves."
"Protective from without, porous within, the structure’s strong, hard shell conceals a softer environment – sheltered courtyards, bringing natural daylight into all spaces; buffer zones creating smooth transitions from a hot, glaring exterior to a cool, filtered interior."
IMAGES AND RENDERINGS: ZAHA HADID ARCHITECTS
IMAGES: SKYSCRAPERCITY.COM/HAMADX
Related Stories
| Mar 4, 2014
How EIFS came to America
Design experts from Hoffmann Architects offer a brief history of exterior insulation and finish systems in the U.S.
| Mar 4, 2014
If there’s no ‘STEM crisis,’ why build more STEM schools?
Before you get your shorts in a knot, I have nothing against science, technology, engineering, or even mathematics; to the contrary, I love all four “STEM” disciplines (I’m lying about the math). But I question whether we need to be building K-12 schools that overly emphasize or are totally devoted to STEM.
| Mar 3, 2014
Negotiate your way to success
There are few business skills as important as negotiation. Many successful businesspeople pride themselves on their ability to turn a deal in their favor. Here are a few key negotiation principles to ensure you’re generally getting a good deal.
| Mar 3, 2014
5 ways to gain clients you actually like
Gaining more clients is one thing. Gaining more clients that you actually like is something else entirely. Here are some tips to perfect the art of attracting and retaining clients that you enjoy working with.
| Mar 3, 2014
Engineering and construction CEOs are cautiously optimistic about the global economy, says PwC
Firm leaders remain leery about the availability of skilled workers, the state of government debt and deficits, and rising material prices, according to PwC’s 2014 Global CEO Survey.
| Mar 1, 2014
Dramatic fractal roof highlights SOM's new Mumbai airport terminal [slideshow]
The terminal merges new technology and traditional regional architecture, notably in the fractal roof canopy that runs throughout the terminal.
| Feb 28, 2014
Six finalists selected in design competition for Canadian Holocaust monument
David Adjaye and Daniel Libeskind are among the finalists for the National Holocaust Monument, planned near the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.
| Feb 27, 2014
Gensler reveals 44 design trends for the next decade
The 82-page report covers dozens of emerging trends in healthcare, commercial office, hospitality, tall buildings, and more.
| Feb 27, 2014
Target converts former prison dump into latest big-box store
Target's new San Rafael, Calif., location was built on the site of the former San Quentin prison dump.
| Feb 27, 2014
Open or private offices? It depends on the business plan
Open layouts are grabbing headlines as a hallmark of the new workplace—think the Google campus or Facebook's headquarters. And for smaller-scale operations, open designs are often lauded for being less expensive than private office plans. But does that mean all offices should have an open layout?