King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Centre (KAPSARC), planned by Zaha Hadid Architects, is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to the study of economics and technology across all platforms of energy.
© Hufton + Crow
The development includes not only the site’s research center, but also a large residential community supporting the program’s international staff and their families. The scheme includes ten communal buildings (including a mosque, a library and a bowling alley), a 200-house residential neighborhood and four other utility structures.
© Hufton + Crow
As the center of the spiritual heart of the scheme, worshipers enter the mosque by climbing floating stone steps and traversing a glass bridge over the reflective pool that surrounds the structure. Clad with a perforated pattern of glowing windows and surrounded by glass, the building’s appearance changes depending on the time of day. At night, the glass box appears as a hovering lantern suspended above the ground, while during the day, shadows from the complex mullion patterns travel over the inner stone facade.
© Hufton + Crow
Viewed through the lens of a traditional mashrabiya wall, internal volumes feature interplay of light and shade. Wrapping all four walls as well as the ceiling, the screen glows with the natural light from the punched windows and skylights.
Project info:
Architects: Zaha Hadid Architects
Country: Saudi Arabia, Riyadh
Area: 70000 m²
Year: 2017
Photographs: Hufton + Crow, Zaha Hadid Architects
Manufacturers: Gutmann
Architectural Design: Zaha Hadid, Patrik Schumacher
Landscape Design: Gross. Max.
Lighting Design: Office for Visual Interaction
Interior Design: Woods Bagot
Engineering: Arup
Project Site Team: John Simpson, Alejandro Diaz, Anas Younes, Annarita Papeschi, Aritz Moriones, Ayca Vural Cutts, Carlos Parraga-Botero, Javier Rueda, Malgorzata Kowalczyk, Michal Wojtkiewicz, Monika Bilska, Sara Criscenti, Stella Dourtme
Project Leaders: Fabian Hecker, Michael Powers, Brian Dale, Henning Hansen, Fulvio Wirz, Elizabeth Bishop, Saleem A. Jalil, Maria Rodero, Lisamarie Ambia, Judith Wahle, Bozana Komljenovic, John Randle, John Szlachta
Project Team: Adrian Krezlik, Alexander Palacio, Amdad Chowdhury, Amit Gupta, Andres Arias Madrid, Britta Knobel, Camiel Weijenberg, Carine Posner, Claire Cahill, Claudia Glas-Dorner, DaChun Lin, Daniel Fiser, Daniel Toumine, David Doody, David Seeland, Deniz Manisali, Elizabeth Keenan, Evan Erlebacher, Fernanda Mugnaini, Garin O’Aivazian, Giorgio Radojkovic, Inês Fontoura, Jaimie-Lee Haggerty, Jeremy Tymms, Julian Jones, Jwalant Mahadevwala, Lauren Barclay, Lauren Mishkind, Mariagrazia Lanza, Melike Altinisik, Michael Grau, Michael McNamara, Mimi Halova, MohammadAli Mirzaei, Mohammed Reshdan, Muriel Boselli, MyungHo Lee, Nahed Jawad, Natacha Viveiros, Navvab Taylor, Neil Vyas, Nicola McConnell, Pedro Sanchez, Prashanth Sridharan, Roxana Rakhshani, Saahil Parikh, Sara Saleh, Seda Zirek, Shaju Nanukuttan, Shaun Farrell, Sophie Davison, Sophie Le Bienvenu, Stefan Brabetz, Steve Rea, Suryansh Chandra, Talenia Phua Gajardo, Theodor Wender, Yu Du
Competition Design Team: Lisamarie Ambia, Monika Bilska, Martin Krcha, Maren Klasing, Kelly Lee, Johannes Schafelner, Judith Schafelner, Ebru Simsek, Judith Wahle, Hee Seung Lee, Clara Martins, Anat Stern Daniel Fiser; Thomas Sonder, Kristina Simkeviciute, Talenia Phua Gajardo, Erhan Patat, Dawna Houchin, Jwalant Mahadevwala
Catering And Kitchen Design: Eastern Quay and GWP
Exhibition Design: Event
Artwork: International Art Consultants
Branding And Signage: Elmwood and Bright
3d Library Consulting: Tribal Cost Consulting and Design
Project Management: Davis Langdon
Project Directors: Lars Teichmann, Charles Walker
Design Director: DaeWha Kang
Branding: Elmwood and Bright
Signage: Elmwood and Bright
Delia Chang is a pending architect who spends a lot of time teleporting to different parts of Earth’s surface. She has written and edited numerous publications for Arch2O and enjoys exploring the relationship between architecture, hugs and food.