661 IL PSSO
Prince Salman Science Oasis
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Competition: 2004
Construction period: 2009 - 2012
Design: Eckhard Gerber
Project director/Project manager: Thomas Lücking
Project team: Hannes Beinhoff, Olaf Schüler, Florian Rist, Nicole Juchems, Nafaa Ghannoudi, Stefan Lemke, Caroline Ting, Jan Kallert, Wolfgang Riegger, Annette Rösler, Lucy Murawski, Thomas Felder et al.
Client: Prince Salman Science Oasis
Gross area: 22.600 m²
Resembling an artificially "built landscape", the science oasis stretches underneath a light roof structure, providing access to the wadi formally located on the spot. An ample square serves as entrée to the complex whose rectangular shape is prescribed by the shopping mall in the southwest and the different buildings of the science centre situated in the northeast. Within these limiting structures, the oasis' exhibition spaces and three-dimensional cinema are freely assembled, thus preserving the original course of the wadi and turning nature into a key point of interest. Retracing the existing topography of the terrain, terraces and green areas interlaced with occasional water pools are aligned like pearls on a string.
The obvious and characteristic trademark of the science oasis is its undulating roof, which seems to hover in the air like a flying carpet. The meshed structure supported by numerous tree-like pillars allows for the unrestricted positioning and extension of exhibition boxes on the one hand, as well as for the expansion of the sculptural roof in independent construction stages. While the technical aspects of the roof construction emphasize its singularity and diversity regarding its surroundings, the sloping, organic shape harmonizes with the prevailing landscape.
Technically, the oasis itself can be considered an exhibit regarding the provision of natural ventilation and the solar energy generation. These special features of the oasis as "working machine" are clearly displayed by the solar chimney power plant, as well as a funnel-shaped rain water collector and the solar panels, all of which are integrated into the roof structure. Nevertheless, the natural beauty of the landscape is an important design element. Aside from demonstrating trend-setting technology, maintaining and emphasizing the site's natural quality constitutes the second column of the design concept.
