Its vast circular form alongside the circular Alexandrian harbor recalls the cyclical nature of knowledge, fluid throughout time. The new building is the result of an international architectural competition in 1989 organized by the International Union of Architects, Unesco, and the Government of Egypt. By 200 BC Alexandria was home to 1.1 million inhabitants and was the largest, wealthiest and most modern city in the classical world until Rome reached a peak in about 80 BC and Constantinople after 315 AD. The library served well-known classical scholars such as Archimedes, Euclid, Heropholus, Erastothenes, Hypatia, Callimachus, Aristarchus, Heron and Theocritus, among others. By Margaret Adolphus The history of Bibliotheca Alexandrina. In addition, the project is further composed of related cultural functions such as a museum and planetarium, an international information school and administrative and support functions. The city returned to prosperity as a trading center, and was occupied by both the French and the British during the 19th -20th centuries. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is built on a magnificent site alongside Alexandria's ancient harbor in the historic center of the city. The disappearance of the ancient library remains a mystery and no specific date can positively be attributed to the complete disappearance of the ancient institutions, however damage from earthquakes, neglect and a residual fire from Julius Caesar’s misdirected warships in 47 BC are all potential causes. The rough-hewn granite wall, both geologic and alphabetic, resembles the cliffs alongside the Nile. Snøhetta – Key Projects. The building is designed to contain 5 million volumes without renovation and ultimately can contain up to 8 million volumes, audio-visual media, maps, and rare manuscripts and books. The alliance made by Marc Antony and Cleopatra ended in the tragic suicide that also ended the Ptolemaic-Roman alliance. AD Classics: Bibliotheca Alexandrina / Snøhetta | ArchDaily The foundation system is unique in the world and will withstand the forces of earth movement and water infiltration from the nearby Mediterranean. The Pharos is believed to have exceeded 125 meters in height. The project will be completed in 2001 and formally open in 2002. A Young Person’s Library is available for younger students and visitors. It does not simply sit upon the earth; it is a part of the earth, within and upon it. Conceived as a revival of the ancient library in the city founded by Alexander the Great some 2300 years ago and lost to civilization centuries later, the new Alexandria Library is a contemporary design that will contribute meaningfully to students, researchers and the public. The idea of reviving the old library dates back to 1974, when a committee set up by Alexandria University selected a plot of land for its new library, between the campus and the seafront, close to where the ancient library once stood. The city dwindled in population with the decline of Rome and after invasion by Persians, Christian Crusaders, and Arabs, among others. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is built on a magnificent site alongside Alexandria's ancient harbor in the historic center of the city. The 11-story library can contain up to 4 million volumes of books, and can be expanded up to 8 million by the use of compact storage. Today the University of Alexandria has a population of nearly 70,000 students and the Faculty of Commerce is directly adjacent to the Library. BIBLIOTHECA ALEXANDRINA Provides Room for up to 8 Million Volumes of Books. Christoph Kapeller, Los Angeles. Snøhetta, Architects : Oslo Architecture Practice. dormakaba's contribution to the project Only 30 metres separate the library from the Mediterranean. His studies include Architecture, Sculpture and Painting at the University of Oregon, U.S.A. as a Fulbright scholar and Architecture at Metsovion Polytechnic School of Athens. Landscape, Interior, Public Space, Architecture, Library. In this sense the new library must surpass its predecessor in its engineering viability. Synchronous with this movement stands a grand stone edifice of historic proportions. About Kjetil Thorsen. Museum Architecture Architecture Student Architecture Details Architecture Board Neoclassical Interior Hospital Design Arch Model Facade Design Design Museum. The building is further augmented by up-to-date digital information facilities and planned to accept a wide range of changing technologies in the future. Bibliotheca Alexandrina / Alexandria Library, Egypt photos / information from Snøhetta Architects, Location: Alexandria Library, Egypt, North Africa, Contemporary North East Africa Architectural Projects, Egyptian Architecture Designs – chronological list.