KAFD Butterfly Dome

Gerber Architekten international GmbH,
Dortmund | Hamburg | Berlin | Riyadh
Architecture | Landscaping Architecture |
Interior Design
Owner, Overall Direction:
Professor Eckhard Gerber
Managing Director: Thomas Lücking

Design Director: Nicole Juchems
Project Team: Ming Wei Ma, Felix E. Wirth
Landscaping Architecture, Design Director:
Tim Kraus
Project team:
Magda Cieslicka, Timo Thorgauer
Client: Rayadah Investment Company,
Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Area:         1,777 m²
GRF:          1,900 m²

Situated on the bridge between two areas of the KAFD a butterfly dome is being designed by GAi to create an urban landmark and a peaceful oasis amid the hectic activity of the Financial District.
The butterfly house is situated on the land bridge over the Thumamah Road highway. The design of the dome is best suited for the butterflies’ comfort and also has the most efficient structure regarding the loads affecting the land bridge.
The sphere is subdivided as a spherical cycloid generating a tessellated surface with quadrilateral shaped units. The torsion of the structure generates the possibility of creating a slight direction within the homogenous dome structure. This direction accentuates the entrance and leads the visitor into the building.

Structural Engineer: Werner Sobek GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart Germany
Mechanical Services Engineer| Fire Fighting: Buro Happold, Berlin | New York
Special Consultancy: Rasbach Architekten, Oberhausen, Germany; Nigel Venters, The Butterfly Boutique, Provincia de Cordoba, Argentina; Neil Gale, The Magic of Life Butterfly House, Aberystwyth, Wales; Hildegard Roelcke, Director “Garten der Schmetterlinge”, Hamburg, Germany
Quantity Surveyors: Sweett Group, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Client: Rayadah Investment Company, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Project Manager: Hill International Worldwide Construction Consulting, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

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