Image © SOM
Located in the under-development King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh, this futuristic complex by SOM provides a multipurpose event hall with operable walls, a 600-seat auditorium with full lecture and cinema support, and a digital forum’ approach that allows all venues to be internally and externally networked.
The conference rooms are clad in electrochromic glass which permits users to change from clear to opaque glass to control light levels and privacy. Sustainability strategies include a solar chimney that uses heat to move air through the main atrium spaces, and a roof containing indigenous desert grasses to minimise irrigation.