From the heart of the desert to a green future; Ethra, the masterpiece of Saudi sustainability

The King Abdulaziz World Cultural Ceer, known as Ithra, was built in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, with the design of the Norwegian company Snøhetta. The design of this ceer depicts a series of “stones” that rely on each other to represe the concept of unity and ierdependence of knowledge and arts. The location of this building near the first commercial oil well in Saudi Arabia is also a symbol of the link between the coury’s history, prese and future. (Love That Design)

In the conceptual design of the works, underground spaces such as archives and museums are symbols of the past; The ground floor, which is the place of cultural programs, reflects the prese, and the ceral tower, with its library and ideation laboratory, represes the future and the birth of thought.

Ethra Ceer received LEED Gold certification in the “Performance and Maienance of Existing Buildings” category from the US Green Building Council. This evaluation system is the most reliable global standard for sustainable structures and focuses on energy efficiency, water consumption, indoor air quality and performance innovation. The evaluation process lasted three years and its results showed that the energy consumption of the building is 18% lower than the national average and the water consumption is 60% lower than the standard level. Also, 80% of waste, including food, is recycled or diverted.

Muslim visitor passing through the corridor of Ethra Cultural Ceer

A visitor wearing a hijab walking in the cultural ceer of Atra

Achieving an ideal level of productivity, despite the high ceilings and open spaces, is considered a significa achieveme for the ceer. The ceer coinues to improve its methods of using resources and providing efficie services to visitors.

Ethra is the first cultural complex in Saudi Arabia to receive the LEED gold certificate in the category of public buildings. Previously awarded LEED NC Gold certification during construction, the facility is now recognized as a model for sustainable and conscious architecture in the region.