Tuesday 22 September 2009

090921 KAUST University, Saudi Arabia

Reading through my Google Reader yesterday and saw this building posted on ArchDaily.

KAUST University, Saudi Arabia

As a whole, this is not a bad university designed by HOK with generous interior spaces. Quite impressed to see this building getting built in Saudi Arabia though. The central atrium ceiling treatment perhaps have some abstracted symbolic representation? Anyway, the interesting thing that caught my eye is the Breakwater Beacon! This, has been said to be part of the coastal ecosystem. I wonder how it actually works. Forget about the sustainable function of it. The shape of that Beacon is intriguing and similar to what I am trying to do for my project. Very organic. The openings are controlled within a simple set of parametric system. Some openings are clear glazing and some are sealed. The exterior honeycomb shape recalls MAD Architects Sinosteel International Plaza which I posted previously. Photos time:


View of the Beacon for the opposite shore


View from the crane 01


View from the crane 02


Interior, as you can see some of the honeycomb cells are distorted to fit the skin


Without the scaffolding I think it should be quite phenomenal

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