At the 2015 Middle East Architect Awards in Dubai, SOM won Concept Design of the Year for the Al Ahmadi Cultural Center, a project that provides a destination for art, music, theater, and dance in Kuwait. The winners of the awards program, which is now in its eighth year, were announced at an event on November 25th at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Dubai. SOM’s Brian Kleiver, Senior Architectural Designer, accepted the award on behalf of the project team.
Consisting of professionals in architecture, engineering, and academia, the Awards jury selected Al Ahmadi Cultural Center for its innovative and climate-responsive design. The Center’s facade filters sunlight into the building to achieve optimal levels for the display of art and historical artifacts, while also serving sustainability goals by reducing cooling loads.