Project Data:

Completion Date:     6/1/2026

Square Footage:      377800

Building Use:           Innovation and Exhibition Center + Hotel

Project Description:

This Confidential Innovation Center and Hotel is envisioned to be an iconic landmark in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, acting as both a physical and symbolic gateway into the KAFD financial district. The project is designed as an incubator - showcasing next-gen technological advancement and innovative opportunities - then connecting them with the financial capital necessary to further develop and bring them to market. At the heart of the client’s brand is an integrated, collaborative, and connected space that builds partnerships.

At the ground level, the mass of the innovation center lifts above the street and creates an elevated covered plaza allowing pedestrian flow and opening the project to the public. Gallery and exhibit space is on full display giving precedence to public interaction. Positioning of the buildings and the integration of shading devices allow for generous airflow and cooling, while immersive digital experiences are incorporated through thoughtfully developed canopies and soffits. The public plaza serves as an entry point to both the Innovation Center and the associated hotel.

Rising above the plaza is the Innovation Center. An incubator lab and exhibit spaces showcase ideas that demonstrate “proof of concept” to select investors and government officials. The top level is reserved for prototyping and collaboration with technology companies and training facilities.

The hotel rising behind the Innovation Center provides +/-300 keys to accommodate to those in residence at the innovation center as well as serving the adjacent financial district of KAFD.

One of the greatest challenges of the project was the client’s adamant directive of rapid construction and speed to market. In terms of construction, the design team had to think differently from traditional methods. They looked for opportunities to use a hybrid modular construction process coupled with massive steel armatures into which prefabricated floor slabs and modular components can be inserted. This process will drastically reduce the construction time, allowing nearly 65% of the project to be prefabricated while the foundation and skeletal frames are placed on site. Advanced technologies in 3D printing will be employed to create a modular exterior screen system that is specifically tuned to solar exposure of each window.

Our design seeks to implement the clients’ goals through the creation of human-scale experiential spaces which allow for public engagement. The building’s design maximizes visual impact while incorporating a vernacular approach to materials, creating a multi-layered open space with pleasant microclimates. The efficient structure and prefabricated facade assemblies streamline the construction process, helping to meet a challenging project schedule.

Design for Integration, Design for Ecosystems, Design for Economy, Design for Energy, Design for Well-being, Design for Resources, Design for Discovery 

DESIGN FOR INTEGRATION

The very purpose of this Confidential Innovation Center and Hotel is integration. It aspires to bring together tech companies, scientists, technologists, and innovators in an immersive environment that fosters collaboration and innovation. The choice of building materials reflects a connection to place as well as to the mission of the building. Natural, locally sourced materials are used for the galleries, exhibit spaces, and public areas, anchoring the building to its site and context. In contrast, the building façade floats above, featuring 3D printed screening and modules that showcase innovative solutions and environmentally sound materials with high recycled content.


DESIGN FOR ECOSYSTEMS

Modular construction enables efficient factory-side pre-assembly and maintenance, reducing the on-site impact during construction. The thermal mass of earth-clad walls mitigates extreme temperature fluctuations in the arid desert climate, while the external screen for the Innovation Center eliminates solar gain and diffuses light, providing privacy for occupants. Vernacular materials and textures pay tribute to the cultural identity.

The ‘wings’ of the hotel tower form a central atrium space that shelters a multi-layered vegetation garden, creating an internal oasis for hotel guests and offering an opportunity to connect with the environment amid the harsh desert climate.


DESIGN FOR ECONOMY

The primary structural approach to the project was considered to provide speed to market delivery. The reduction in construction time drastically reduces cost while maintaining a high level of quality in the prefabrication process. This approach delivers a high-performing energy-efficient asset for the client’s real estate portfolio.


DESIGN FOR ENERGY

The façade concept optimizes solar and daylight performance by employing passive design techniques such as solar shading and ventilation to ensure occupant comfort. Pleasant outdoor spaces with ample shading are central to the user experience. Deep overhangs for the low-rise building and scooped façade elements for the tower effectively minimize solar heat gains in the harsh desert climate. Thermally broken façade attachments and UV-reflective insulated glazing units further reduce ambient heat transmission, creating a high-performance thermal envelope.
Airflow and evaporative cooling of the open spaces are promoted by elevating the volume of the Innovation Center and reducing the ground floor footprint. The central atrium of the hotel tower functions as a fresh air reservoir, supplying the room units and reducing ventilation demands.


DESIGN FOR WELL-BEING

A large central atrium with a vertical garden and access to nighttime fresh-air purging allows for a higher indoor air quality, reduction in mechanical ventilation needs of public spaces and connectivity to biophilic elements within the building interior.


DESIGN FOR RESOURCES

The façade materials are contextually appropriate, featuring prefabricated rammed-earth panels made from low-carbon, locally abundant clays and metals like copper alloys, which are plentiful in the region. This approach supports local suppliers, minimizes transportation costs, and reduces the embodied carbon of the core and shell.


DESIGN FOR DISCOVERY

The accelerated schedule for bringing the project to market pushed the design team to rethink the assembly of the building as well as the use and fabrication of materials. They embraced a process that combined prefabrication with on-site fabrication to compress construction time while maintaining a high level of quality and finish.

Completion Date:     6/1/2026

Square Footage:      377800

Building Use:           Innovation and Exhibition Center + Hotel

Location:                 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Gensler

Confidential Client