King Fahad National Library
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Competition: 2002 - 1st Prize
Construction period: 2007 - 2010
Design: Eckhard Gerber
Project director/Project manager: Thomas Lücking
Project team: Tiran K. Driver, Nicola Gerber, Thomas Helms, Till Müller (LA) Kerstin Tulke, René Koblank, Olaf Ballerstedt, Nils Kummer, Britta Alker, Alexandra Kranert, Henrike Schlinke, Michael Schlegel, Ulrich Scheinhardt, Jörg Schoeneweiß, Beate Mack, Sabine Diegritz (LA), Stefan Lemke et al.
Client: Königreich Saudi-Arabien vertr. durch die Arriyadh Development Authority
Gross area: 68.500 m²
Volume: 452.000 m³

The square new building encases the old library, which holds the archives like a treasure chest. The old roof will be a reading room, whereas its newly designed dome remains visible above the flat roof of the new building. A three-dimensional steel wire construction serves as an external sun protection. Its white membrane interprets Arabic traditions technologically and culturally in a modern way.

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