Located on the Sharjah International Airport Road, 10 kilometres from the city centre, the two-storey building features a large floating roof cantilevering on all sides of a transparent rectilinear volume. The 15m wide overhang shades the façades throughout most of the day, while fixed aluminium screens with differing densities filter the low sun in the evenings. Movable bamboo screens at low level are deployed by the building users, to provide privacy or to control glare. When not in use the bamboo screens are left open, to give views onto the landscaped gardens.

Visitors enter the building into a double-height reception hub with a central courtyard, a densely planted green area for social events or quiet contemplation. The ground floor contains large spaces for exhibitions, a café alongside a children’s educational space, and the archive and a reading area with facilities such as an Espresso Book Machine that prints and binds books on-demand.

Outside features include a knowledge garden and a children’s playground,

“The House of Wisdom in Sharjah is a forward-looking conception of what a library should be in the 21st century – embracing a digital future while playing a crucial role as a community hub for learning, underpinned by innovation and technology,” said Gerard Evenden, head of studio at Foster + Partners.

“The straight, minimalist lines of the building complement the dunes of the desert, set within a lush landscape. The House of Wisdom is set to be an oasis for the local community, led by research and innovation, at the heart of a new cultural district.”