King AbdulAziz Center of World Culture (Ithra), Dhahran

Designed by the Norwegian architectural firm Snøhetta, Ithra was designed as a collection of “stones” symbolizing unity. The stones lean on one another to create solidarity. They also illustrate how the various disciplines explored in the Center all depend on one another to stand strong.

Just as the arrangement of the stones and the location of the Center (near the Kingdom’s first commercial oil well) are symbolic, the building was designed with a purposeful expression of time: Underground, where the archive and museum gallery spaces are located, represent the past; the ground floor, where performances take place, represents the present; and the tower, along with the library and Idea Lab, is where ideas take shape, representing the future.

The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) has achieved the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certification in the category for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (EBOM). The award was received during a ceremony at Ithra.

Presented by the US Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED is the most widely used green building rating system in the world, and a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement and leadership. The LEED v4.1 O+M Existing Buildings rating system helps building operators maximize operational efficiency and minimize environmental impact. The award follows a three-year process of Ithra monitoring and improving the Center’s performance on metrics including water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, indoor environmental quality, and innovation in operations.

Adnan A. Simsim, Technical Services Manager at Ithra, said: “Maintaining Ithra’s building presents a unique opportunity, especially with the high ceilings and open spaces that are present in the museum, library and common connecting space, the Plaza. To achieve this level of energy efficiency in comparison to other buildings is quite a remarkable achievement. We are not stopping here; this is just the beginning as we continue to innovate in ways to be more operationally efficient in the resources we utilize while offering service to the public.”

Ithra is considered a “green” building, constructed using sustainable and environmentally conscious materials and methods, in line with the international certification standards of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Ithra is certified as a LEED Gold structure.

According to Ithra, its operational team optimized electromechanical equipment and lighting operations based on occupancy patterns to achieve 18 percent lower energy consumption than the LEED baseline based on national average. Potable water use was optimized to user touch areas, resulting in levels 60 percent lower than the baseline, while the Center also recycles or diverts 80 percent of all solid waste generated, including food waste from the restaurants. Furthermore, Ithra harvested rainwater, enhanced indoor air quality and promoted green education through visitor-facing displays to demonstrate its commitment to sustainability and achieve the USGBC targets.

Ithra is the first facility of its size in the Kingdom to be certified in the public assembly building category. The certification recognizes Ithra’s commitment to being an environmentally responsible and sustainable cultural institution. The Center was also previously certified gold in LEED NC (New Construction) when it was first constructed.