A work of the British architectural firm Zaha Hadid Architects, the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Centre (KAPSARC) has opened its doors in Riyadh. It rises in the desert landscape of the Saudi Arabian capital as a modular structure formed by hexagons – inspired in the cells of an organism – that makes ample leeway for future enlargement. Containing a floor area of 70,000 square meters in total, the complex comprises five buildings connected to one another and arranged around a large courtyard shaped by pergolas resting on branching steel pillars. For protection against the harsh sun of the region, the campus closes up towards the south while opening in the direction of the north and the west. In this way, the interior spaces are cooled in a natural, passive way. The KAPSARC has been recognized as a sustainable building with LEED Platinum certification.
