King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra)
Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, Middle East
Completed · Cultural · Multi-Programme Cultural Centre · Arid · 2017
A 100,000 m² cultural campus comprising five interconnected pebble-shaped towers with a double-skin facade system tuned to reduce solar gain in extreme heat while maintaining natural daylighting in galleries and public spaces. Structural steel was fabricated using BIM-driven CNC processes with complex geometry resolved through parametric modelling.
Innovation highlights
- double-skin ventilated facade system reducing solar gain by 60% in 45°C climate
- parametric structural geometry resolved entirely in BIM before fabrication
- continuous public realm weaving through building footprint at grade
- integrated sand-filtering ventilation to protect collection spaces
- adaptive daylighting controls across gallery spaces with zero UV penetration
- Client / Developer
- Saudi Aramco
- Architect
- Snøhetta
- Engineer
- Buro Happold
- Type
- Multi-Programme Cultural Centre
#double-skin facade #parametric design #BIM fabrication #arid climate #cultural #Snøhetta
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