Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt

Bibliotheca Alexandrina is a revival of the ancient legendary library of Egypt located at Alexandria during the Greek period. The rebuilding of the library gives Alexandria back the status of center for learning. The new building of Bibliotheca Alexandrina is technically outstanding.

This major library as well as the cultural center of Alexandria is located on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. At present Bibliotheca Alexandrina is a complex that houses different sections for different groups of people of every age. It includes a conference center, specialized libraries for blind and also for the youth section. There is also a section particularly for children and it include three museums, four art galleries, a planetarium and a manuscript laboratory.

However besides then center of learning and knowledge, this new library of Alexandria is equally attractive for its architecture. Designed as a tilting disc rising from the ground with four levels below the ground and seven above, the library's main room stands below the 32-meter high glass-panelled roof and measures 160 meter in diameter.

The circular diaphragm wall of the library is considered as the largest in the world, with a diameter of 160 meters and height of 35 meters. The circular form of the library has its own symbolic significance and an iconic presence among the structures of Egypt. The exterior wall of Bibliotheca Alexandrina is made of four thousand granite blocks inscribed with the letters from the alphabets of the world.

The main reading area of the library is a single open space with eight terraces. However one of the most successful features of the new library building is its use of natural light, drawn in through glazed panels on the roof. The library and the planetarium of Bibliotheca Alexandrina are linked at basement level.