The National Library of Kuwait is located one block from the oceanfront overlooking the Kuwait Bay of the Persian Gulf. The architectural design work was carried out in Dallas with the assistance of a local design firm as the architect-of-record. The library is a 4 story building, all floors are connected with a curved curtainwall hallway at the front of the library. This bright atrium space can be used for social gatherings as well as for special events. It is also designed to help with the library’s air circulation and efficient energy use.

The design team studied Arabic architectural heritage and applied it to this project. This is reflected in the creation of various themed spaces inside the library. One of these traditional spaces is the traditional Dewaniya space in the main reading hall. Regrettably, due to budget constraints, some of these special design features such as the patterned glass on the curved atrium hall (see the original rendering image above) were deleted during the valued-engineering stage. However, for the most part, the design was executed faithfully and the library turned out a successful building.

Functionally, a major component of the library is archiving. The design includes state-of-the-art workspaces as well as adequate storage areas for various cataloging needs and duties for the library. The library was designed to house spaces for representatives from several governmental ministries, public authorities, and institutions. The library also includes facilities for the preservation of cultural heritage and copyright protection of Kuwait’s artistic work.

The library contains a special needs branch, a lending branch, a teen’s branch, and a children’s branch. All reading rooms have separate areas for Western and Arabian literature. Additionally, the library includes a theater, a lecture hall, and a conference hall.

Photo credit: The Kuwait National Library.