The King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Centre’s (KAPSARC) convention centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has opened to the public, hosting the Saudi Design Week 2017 with more than 20,000 visitors.

The KAPSARC campus incorporates five buildings: the Energy Knowledge Centre; the Energy Computer Centre; a Conference Centre with exhibition hall and 300-seat auditorium; a Research Library; and the Musalla, a place for prayer within the campus. Zaha Hadid Architects’ first project to be awarded LEED Platinum certification by the US Green Building Council, the centre is designed in response to the environmental conditions of the Riyadh Plateau to minimise energy and resource consumption.

KAPSARC is a non-profit institution for independent research into policies that contribute to the most effective use of energy to provide social wellbeing across the globe. The centre develops policies and economic frameworks that reduce the environmental impact and overall costs of energy supply and enable practical technology-based solutions to use energy more efficiently.