King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC), Riyadh
Designed by Zaha Hadid, this energy R&D facility, the largest in the world, is currently under construction near the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh. The extreme climate of the desert is responsible for the thinking behind this design: a series of cells clad in concrete panels. The orientation and internal structure of the cells create constant air circulation, the cladding guarantees maximum protection against solar radiation. At atria, inner courtyards and access zones the roof is either left completely open or covered by triangular glazing - the "skylights". The so-called shadings of aluminium, which are also based on a triangular grid and look like carefully positioned scales, filter the incoming daylight to eliminate glare and solar heat gains.
Structural steelwork constitutes the primary structure of this three-dimensional cellular building. The design of the building envelope called for seele's comprehensive expertise in exact 3D planning and working to a very tight schedule. Most parts of the building - walls and roofs - are clad with GFRC panels: fixed to an insulated standing seam construction, these panels made from glass fibre-reinforced concrete are mounted clear of the roof and similar to a curtain wall on the facades. They surround the complex in a diamond-shaped layout. On the facades this envelope is interrupted by square and triangular windows. Extruded depressions in the concrete panels merely imitate windows in some instances and glass photovoltaic modules replace the concrete panels at various points on the roof. Also worthy of note are the steel-and-glass facades spanning up to 20 m in several atria. These represent part of the approx. 100.000 m² of facades that seele supplied for this project. The goal is to achieve a LEED Platinum certificate for the structure.
Structural steelwork constitutes the primary structure of this three-dimensional cellular building. The design of the building envelope called for seele's comprehensive expertise in exact 3D planning and working to a very tight schedule. Most parts of the building - walls and roofs - are clad with GFRC panels: fixed to an insulated standing seam construction, these panels made from glass fibre-reinforced concrete are mounted clear of the roof and similar to a curtain wall on the facades. They surround the complex in a diamond-shaped layout. On the facades this envelope is interrupted by square and triangular windows. Extruded depressions in the concrete panels merely imitate windows in some instances and glass photovoltaic modules replace the concrete panels at various points on the roof. Also worthy of note are the steel-and-glass facades spanning up to 20 m in several atria. These represent part of the approx. 100.000 m² of facades that seele supplied for this project. The goal is to achieve a LEED Platinum certificate for the structure.
