You can argue out creativity from so many points of view, but I tend to believe that the best creativity is the kind that is naturally in you, you nurture it through the years and probably go to learning institutions just to perfect that skill and to adopt better ways of enhancing it. Art is literally the best example to equate to creativity; be it from music, photography works, paintings, drawings and architectural works among many others.
Artists can put up their art works in places that could seem “odd” and turn those places into destinations that we all want to visit and in some cases they even turn out into historical sites. Yes, art can be put up anywhere, it depends on how far your creativity goes as an artist and the impact you want your work to have on those who will be exposed to it. Isn’t it amazing to think of how this world would be if we all had such levels of creativity, art would be literally everywhere, but we really don’t complain because we are represented well by those capable minds out there.
When we talk about oddity, the last place that you would think could house any form of art is the desert. I can already imagine the questions you have in mind right now and your facial expressions. Desert? Art in a desert? Of all places why would you choose such environment, defined by extremely hot climate to put up artworks? Well, such would seem impossible to you and somehow pointless but not to Zaha Hadid, London based architects who defied the odds and put up a beautiful huge building in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.
Before we even talk about the architectural work that was put up, let’s just get to know a few facts about this country. Saudi Arabia is known as one of the most oil-rich countries in the world. It is a hot climate country in the Sub Saharan desert. Most times in the year are hot, extremely hot actually. The citizens have to ensure such climate does not affect their daily activities and even in worst case scenarios, their health. Sometimes they go to work and school half a day cause of the heat and any building should never lack air conditioners to ensure there is some breeze. With this little pictorial idea in mind of Saudi Arabia and to think of art in a desert, well it can only be everything but possible.
Zaha Hadid architects designed King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Centre in Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia, covering 70,000 square-metres. The huge hexagonal pods interlock like honeycombs is meant to provide facilities for researchers investigating the transition towards more sustainable power sources in Saudi Arabia.
The pods are designed to lessen the impact of the harsh light and heat of Riyadh which is typically a desert.
The building lifts from the north & west of the desert to allow a little breeze. During the hottest parts of the year, the researchers can travel between the different buildings via an underground passage. Wow, this is the reason why they are architects; they brought in their creativity to design a research Centre in a desert and actually designed it in such a way that heat will not be an issue. Art came in to provide a roof for researchers, a place where they would call their office, a place that would be the beginning of better things for Saudi Arabia as far as sustainable power sources are concerned.
Zaha Hadid architectural works are completely thrilling; you would look at them all day every day and get marveled by how creative those artists are. King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Centre in Riyadh is probably one of the most spectacular buildings in Saudi Arabia. We should just mutually agree that art should live on till forever.
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