Kafd Metro Station by Zaha Hadid Architects
Part of the world’s longest driverless transit system, the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) Metro Station, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA), is a striking landmark in Riyadh’s ambitious public transportation overhaul. As a key interchange in the Riyadh Metro – a 176-kilometre, six-line network planned by the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) – KAFD Station plays a crucial role in transforming urban mobility in Saudi Arabia’s capital.
Since opening, the station has served over three million passengers, offering seamless connections between the KAFD terminus, King Khalid International Airport, and the local skybridge monorail. With six rail platforms distributed across four levels, the station also integrates with local bus routes, establishing it as a vital multi-modal hub within the city.
ZHA’s design for the station is rooted in connectivity and flow. Using advanced modelling of predicted rail, car, and pedestrian traffic, the station’s internal circulation is structured around a dynamic three-dimensional lattice. This structure is defined by opposing sinewaves, reflecting the varied rhythms of daily commuter patterns and providing both architectural structure and wayfinding clarity.
The station’s exterior, clad in ultra-high-performance concrete panels, echoes this rhythmic geometry. Its perforated façade serves a dual purpose: offering solar shading in Riyadh’s arid climate and evoking the textured patterns formed by desert winds in sand. This blend of performance and poetry marks a contemporary reinterpretation of traditional regional architecture. Throughout the design process, ZHA prioritised environmental performance and structural efficiency. The station’s envelope and internal framework were developed as a unified system, reducing construction complexity while preserving spatial integrity. Passive design strategies – including sliding door panels that retain cool air – work alongside a high-efficiency cooling system powered by renewable energy. This intelligent system adapts to fluctuating passenger levels throughout the day.
The KAFD Metro Station has earned LEED Gold certification, a testament to its sustainable vision. As both a civic gateway and a catalyst for urban change, it sets a benchmark for transport architecture in the region, balancing innovation, tradition, and sustainability within a sculptural form that reshapes the expectations of transit design.
