BAGHDAD LIBRARY, YOUTH CITY, IRAQ

• AREA- 11.11 acre (45,000 sq. metre ) Location

• located on a teardrop-shaped peninsula at the • In plan, the building takes
heart of the Youth City master plan dedicated
to supporting and inspiring young Iraqis. the shape of a drop-like
peninsula, which projects
• A double-curvature roof structure- having 80-
metre span, create the world's biggest single- out onto a lake.
span reading room. • The Library is at the heart
• first public library to be built in Iraq since the of the Youth City; a master
1970s plan of 1,200,000 sq. m,
with over 30 new buildings,
• Includes: including residential,
1. three million books, including rare manuscripts cultural, official and sports
and periodicals venues.
ROOF PLAN SHOWING THE WORD ‘READ’ WRITTEN IN ARABIC
2. computers, digital media resources
KUFIC SCRIPT
3. spaces for hosting performances and events
4. accommodate 5060 visitors.

• The building brings together form, function,

and cultural significance.
• The 45,000 sq. m structure is a central focus of
a planned Youth City that has been designed
to inspire Iraq’s younger generations.
• It is a public space and cultural centre NORTH ELEVATION SOUTH ELEVATION
designed to encourage intellectual, creative and
a steel mesh construction will social exchange.
allow the main reading space to be
the largest in the world

• It is an accessible library for all ages.

• ambition was to create a space where people can
run a serious and consolidated programme of
public events; art exhibitions, book clubs,
the double curved roof dictated
theatre events, educational conferences, film EAST ELEVATION
the sequence of skylights that
screenings and workshops."
illuminate the interiors
• The library is designed to engage and empower visitors, and to encourage open
exchange. • The Baghdad Library is more
• The building’s lightweight, single-span roof, creates a vast open plan space, allowing than simply a sleek and
people to read and navigate the building logically. strikingly beautiful structure –
• The practical and cultural importance of light is demonstrated through an what makes this building truly
encrypted message in the the design of the roof, which forms the word 'read' remarkable is the user
written in Arabic Kufic script. This is documented as the first word spoken by God interface.
to the Prophet.
WEST ELEVATION
• Functionality, intuitive organisation, and rational user-friendly design were all key
concepts which shaped the building from the inside out. GARIMA NAUGARIA- VII SEM- STUDIO A
 Roof structure
• The library's double curvature roof structure is formed by a two-way steel cable net with a span of 80m across, making it the biggest
single span reading room in the world.
• The roof is comprised of modular panels which support both a photovoltaic system and arrangement of skylights.
• The skylights follow the curve of the roof and were designed specifically to allow constant levels of illumination into the reading
areas.
• Sustainability is achieved through, integration of solar panels into the roof, and subtly through the building's mass, form and
orientation, making it an example of both renewable energy and passive design
• rooftop solar panels and a streamlined form optimized for passive cooling.

ROOF MODULES

BASEMENT PLAN LOWER GROUND FLOOR PLAN

LONGITUDINAL SECTION

Interior
• The heart of the building is surrounded by floor plates, which form
a cascading terrace and create a directional valley that contains the
various reading areas and event spaces.
• The building features a continuous slot around the perimeter, which
lets indirect light filter through to internal spaces on the lower
ground floor.
• The floors and walls are designed to create flexible, functional
spaces for different cultural, social and educational purposes.
FIRST FLOOR PLAN SECOND FLOOR PLAN

THIRD FLOOR PLAN FOURTH FLOOR PLAN

SECTIONS
GARIMA NAUGARIA- VII SEM- STUDIO A