Designed by Dutch architectural firm OMA, Qatar National Library officially opened in April.
Photograph by Delfino Sisto Legnani and Marco Cappelletti, Courtesy of OMA
Qatar National Library —
Construction on the building began in 2012 and wrapped up in September 2017.
Photograph by Iwan Baan, Courtesy of OMA
Qatar National Library —
The library was funded by the Qatar Foundation, a non-profit founded by Qatar's Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.
Photograph by Delfino Sisto Legnani and Marco Cappelletti, Courtesy of OMA
Qatar National Library —
It is designed as a single open-plan space.
Photograph by Delfino Sisto Legnani and Marco Cappelletti, Courtesy of OMA
Qatar National Library —
The library is part of the Qatar Education City, an area in which overseas universities have set up campuses.
Photograph by Iwan Baan, Courtesy of OMA
Qatar National Library —
Encompassing a gross floor area of 45,000 square meters, the library holds more than a million books.
Photograph by Iwan Baan, Courtesy of OMA
Qatar National Library —
Arabic and English books dominate the collection, although there's a wide variety of reading materials in other languages, too.
Photograph by Iwan Baan, Courtesy of OMA
Qatar National Library —
The heritage library has a unique design: a six-meter-deep space that looks like an excavated cave.
Photograph by Delfino Sisto Legnani and Marco Cappelletti, Courtesy of OMA
Qatar National Library —
The heritage library is a tribute to the culture of the region -- and the cave design is inspired by local archeological sites.
Photograph by Iwan Baan, Courtesy of OMA
Qatar National Library —
The diamond-shaped building is 138 meters long -- the equivalent of two 747s.
Photograph by Iwan Baan, Courtesy of OMA
Qatar National Library —
In the heart of the building is a heritage library featuring more than 4,000 manuscripts on Arab-Islamic civilization. The oldest manuscript in the collection dates back to the 6th century.
Photograph by Iwan Baan, Courtesy of OMA
Qatar National Library —
The library is designed to have bookshelves stacked on different levels -- visitors can see everything inside the building at a glance.
Photograph by Delfino Sisto Legnani and Marco Cappelletti, Courtesy of OMA
Qatar National Library —
So far, 45,000 people have registered to become a member of the library.
Photograph by Delfino Sisto Legnani and Marco Cappelletti, Courtesy of OMA
Qatar National Library —
The library can accommodate thousands of users -- who can rest on comfy seating.
