National Library of King Fahd

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King Fahd National Library, Riyadh

The King Fahd National Library ( Arabic مكتبة الملك فهد الوطنية, DMG Maktabat al-Malik Fahd al-waṭaniyya ) is the national library of Saudi Arabia . It is located in Riyadh and was opened in 2015.

The building was designed by Gerber Architects from Dortmund and was named after Fahd ibn Abd al-Aziz (1921 / 23–2005), the fifth king of Saudi Arabia. The cost of construction was around 130 million euros.

Origin, structure

The King Fahd National Library is located in a number of representative cultural buildings that were built in Saudi Arabia around the turn of the millennium, including:

The first national library of Saudi Arabia was established in the early 1980s. In 1999, Eckhard Gerber was invited to take part in an international architectural competition for a representative new building. The reason for the invitation was Gerber's design for the Göttingen State and University Library , which was internationally recognized as successful. The winner of the competition was Mario Botta . After that, however, the state planning agency Arriyath Development Authority (ADA) decided to change location and advertise a new competition. The building site was now the site of the old national library and the architects were given the option to keep the old building or to have it demolished. Gerber suggested keeping the old building in the traditional architectural style with a cruciform floor plan and a small central dome and integrating it into the new building. But around the old building a "housing" made of glass and a cover with Bedouin sails should be set. He won the second competition in 2002.

After the originally planned congress center had been outsourced, a five-storey square building with a side length of 140 meters was finally built directly on King Fahd Road, one of the city's major thoroughfares, in the immediate vicinity of the Al Faisaliyah Center , the country's first skyscraper. Construction began in 2007. Thousands of white sails were stretched around the glass structure and give the building its character. The sails provide shade, but are also an allusion to Bedouin culture and a demonstration of highly topical architecture. To a certain extent, the sails also cite another German architect who previously worked in Saudi Arabia, Frei Otto , known for his lightweight structures and tent architecture. “In their design, the Gerber people thought of veiled women, of this idea that is widespread in the Arab world that a veil protects and enhances something valuable. They built the new building around the old building, wrapped it up. "

The preservation of the old structure, which now serves as a magazine and thus became the center of knowledge in the new library, is a sign of respect for Arab culture. Transparency is a hallmark of the entire design, the ceiling was constructed to be translucent with new materials. The building is one of the first low-energy buildings in Saudi Arabia. The building is divided into a women's wing and a men's wing. According to the architects' office, these parts can easily be put together in a few simple steps.

A large square was created in front of the library, 150 by 150 meters, with lawns, palm trees and a fountain.

Stocks

The library has one of the largest collections of Arabic and Islamic manuscripts in the world. Due to the spacious reading rooms and the quick availability of books and manuscripts, it is one of the most important research institutions in the Middle East. A number of prominent scientists and collectors have bequeathed their holdings to the library or they have been purchased. For example, the library of the Palestinian Arabist Ihsan Abbas (1920–2003) is in the house, a professor at the American University of Beirut and a King Faisal Prize winner .

Awards

  • Meed Award 2014 - Social Project of the year
  • Meed Award 2014 - GCC Winner
  • Detail price 2014 - nomination
  • WAN Award Façade 2014 - Shortlist
  • German Design Award 2014 - Special Mention
  • Iconic Award 2014 - Product Facades
  • International Architecture Design Award 2014
  • German Steel Construction Award 2015
  • MIPIM Award 2015 - finalist
  • Architizer A + Award Architecture + Material 2015

Individual evidence

  1. ^ John Lancaster: Curtains in Riyadh , Washington Post , Nov. 14, 1996
  2. ↑ Snøhetta : King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture , accessed on May 12, 2018
  3. ↑ TRIAD Berlin : King Salman Science Oasis , accessed on February 7, 2019
  4. ↑ a b Sebastian Redecke: New National Library, Saudi Conditions , Bauwelt 43.2013
  5. ↑ a b Susanne Beyer : Pinguine in the desert , Der Spiegel (Hamburg), July 1, 2013
  6. ↑ 10th award for King Fahad National Library , April 21, 2015
  7. ↑ Arab News : King Fahd National Library wins global architectural award , November 19, 2015

Web links

Coordinates: 24 ° 41 ′ 9 ″  N , 46 ° 41 ′ 13 ″  E