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Opening of the Alexandria library
Taking place today is the opening ceremony for the new Alexandria library (open to the public from 20 October), the most ambitious project in Egypt today. Not just in terms of the numbers – 85 000 square metres of floor area destined to house 8 million volumes – and not just because it is the first Egyptian building to be completely accessible to the disabled and a perfect model of energy conservation. But above all for its primary objective: to collect together the knowledge of the world, and attempt to equal the magnitude of the ancient institution destroyed by the legionaries of Julius Cesar in 48 BC.
Inside, there are two museums, a conference centre, exhibition areas and the biggest reading room in the world – 20 000 square metres with 3000 places. The building has been designed by Snøetta, a group from Oslo made up of Norwegian, American and Austrian architects who were winners of the competition set by UNESCO together with the Egyptian government and the International Union of Architects.
To coincide with the opening, a travelling exhibition opens in Rome which covers the highlights of the project begun in 1989 when 524 architects from 52 countries entered the competition. On show at the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale are drawings, designs and images which illustrate the past, present and future of what has been defined as one of the most beautiful buildings of the new millennium.
