Tiered shelves
In white.
Mohammed Abdul Mutallib — CC BY-SA 4.0 · En Merker — CC0 · Sharawi13 — CC BY-SA 4.0
A national, university and public library in Education City, part of Qatar Foundation, announced in 2012 on the 50th anniversary of Dar Al Kutub Al Qatariyya, one of the first public libraries in the Gulf. The Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas designed the building as a sheet of paper folded up at its corners, with a glass façade that floods it with daylight. Inside is a single vast hall where white bookshelves rise in tiers like an amphitheatre, a striking sight that draws visitors with cameras. The library holds more than a million books and periodicals, a heritage library below the main floor with old manuscripts and maps of the Gulf and the Arab world, a children's library and study rooms. Entry is free, per visitor guides, with membership needed only for borrowing. It opens Saturday to Thursday 08:00–20:00 and Friday 16:00–20:00, and it's a quiet space, so keep your voice down.
In white.
Old manuscripts.
Through glass.
Education City, Al Rayyan
Yes. Entry is free for everyone, per visitor guides; membership is needed only to borrow books.
