Zaha Hadid Architects just delivered the stunning King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Centre (KAPSARC) in Riyadh, the Saudi Arabian capital. Based on the honeycomb, the building was designed to be as energy efficient as possible, as it is a 70,000 sq ft research facility on more sustainable energy sources. The honeycomb shape, with it’s cellular and sharp edges, stays modulable and will facilitate future expansions and adaptations, and is incredibly efficient in keeping the building cold in the overwhelming desert heat. “Hexagonal prismatic honeycomb structures use the least material to create a lattice of cells within a given volume,” explained the studio. “This structural and organisational principle determined KAPSARC’s composition as an amalgamation of crystalline forms that emerges from the desert landscape, evolving to best respond to the environmental conditions and internal programme requirements.” Another beautifully smart building by the London-based studio, photographed here by Hufton + Crow.

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