Project description:

SQUARES Center is a unique space at a central intersection of interest for the city of Al-Khobar. The concept was inspired by the nearby sea and by the natural form of one of its most common shells, Turritella terebra, a sea snail whose long, tower-like shell resembles a drill. The center can therefore also be called the “SeaShell entertainment center”.

Inside, under the protective, thick shell, visitors find a shelter from the external environment and a unique effect, the caustic effect: the patches of light that the waves draw on the seabed, as if walking under the sea.

Construction:

The envelope is a shell system. Shells are among the most efficient load-bearing systems: the loads are carried by in-plane forces, so very thin and economic structures result. Modular precast arches form the skeleton of the envelope; thin precast concrete shell segments fill the spaces between the arches. All modules are post-tensioned into a rigid system with a uniform fair-faced concrete finish and a very quick construction procedure. In some parts, concrete modules can be replaced by glass modules to bring natural light inside. The interior building is a precast concrete frame with hybrid slabs, enveloped by the independent shell.

Place: Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia
Year: 2021
Status: Concept
Area: Common areas about 19,500 sqm; underground about 18,000 sqm; maximum height 33 m
Role: Architectural concept design
Partners: schlaich bergermann partner (structural concept)
Construction: Precast concrete arches and thin shell segments, post-tensioned; glass modules
Budget: Concept estimate about €55 million
Photos: Renders: Nir Sivan Architects

https://www.nirsivan.com/nir-sivan-architects/project-gallery/squares-center-al-khobar-saudi-arabia/