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Visit the impressive Qatar National Library

Light and air mark the modernist Qatar National Library, where every book is visible.

Qatar for all: Your accessibility guide

Architecture, Family, Culture

Qatar National Library

Designed by Rem Koolhaas, the diamond shaped exterior of the library belies its spacious interior, which prioritizes light and visibility. The bookshelves themselves are an integral part of the building, rising out of the floor and blending into the architecture; Innovative technologies are seamlessly integrated throughout the building, enhancing accessibility and efficiency.

How to get there?

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    In the Ceremonial Court parking lot where there is a shuttle bus to the library every 15 minutes.

     

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    QNL is accessible by car. Parking is available 

     

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    QNL is accessible by the Doha Metro. Qatar National Library Station is on the Green line.

     

Qatar National Library

Address

Education City Qatar, District of Freedom, Al Luqta St

Phone

+974 4454 0100

Website

https://www.qnl.qa/en

World-renowned architect Rem Koolhaas designed the 45,000-square-meter building to resemble two pieces of paper that are pulled apart and folded diagonally at the corners to create a shell-like structure, enclosing the open-plan interior. 

The main interior space is designed to allow a precise amount of daylight to enter and maintain a connection to the world outside. Daylight filters through the glass façade, providing natural light that is conducive to reading and socializing. The bookshelves themselves are an integral part of the building itself, rising out of the floor and highlighting the value of books in Qatari culture.

QNL provides an environment that fosters learning, play and innovation.  Tools and equipment are provided at the library’s Innovation Stations, catering to a dizzying array of activities and interests - videography, photography, design, sound editing and 3D printing.  A music studio and STEM focused products further promote learning through doing.  With an avowed focus on preserving important cultural and historical items, QNL contains a dedicated Conservation and Preservation Laboratory which restores items in the Heritage Library, whilst climate-controlled display cases help preserve them.  The Digitization Laboratory digitizes items from QNL and other collections, making them available to scholars worldwide. 

Highlights of your visit

  • Heritage library

  • Innovation stations

  • The digitization laboratory

The heart of Qatar National Library, the Heritage Library is a unique contribution to Qatar’s cultural landscape. Its growing collection includes rare and valuable archival documents, books and periodicals in various European languages; early Arabic printed materials, such as books, journals, magazines and newspapers; and Arabic manuscripts, maps, atlases, globes, historical photographs, and instruments and tools related to travel. A number of the printed materials date back to the 15th century, when the printing process had recently been introduced in Europe, and these antiquarian books are among the rarest and most valuable features of the Heritage Library's collection.

Witness the wonders of the Arab-Islamic world through the rare documents housed in the Heritage Library.

QNL is a community space that helps facilitate the effective exchange of ideas and communal learning.Tools and equipment are provided at Innovation Stations, catering to a vast array of activities and interests – videography, photography, design, sound editing and 3D printing, and much more. A music studio and STEM-focused resources further promote learning through doing. With an avowed focus on preserving important cultural and historical items, QNL contains a dedicated Conservation and Preservation Laboratory which restores items in the Heritage Library, whilst climate-controlled display cases help preserve them. The Digitization Laboratory digitizes items from QNL and other collections, making them available to scholars worldwide. 

Qatar National Library's state-of-the-art building is located in the heart of Education City, Doha. Unlike any other place in Qatar, Education City is home to branch campuses of some of the world’s leading educational institutes, a homegrown research university, start-up incubators, technology parks, heritage sites, cultural institutions, and much more. 

The Library has numerous facilities for individual and group collaboration, research and study. These include:

• Assistive technology room including 16 computer stations with adjustable leveling, equipped with cutting-edge hardware and software technologies

•  A 200-seat Special Events Area with lights, an LED screen, speakers and noise-dampening curtains

• A dedicated area for young adults

• A 686-square-meter Children’s Library

•  4-room Innovation Station

•  2 instruction rooms

•  A computer lab

•  8 group study rooms

•  28 individual study carrels

•  3 media viewing rooms

•  26 large interactive screens and 465 computers

•  A 120-seat auditorium

•  A restaurant and a café

Qatar for all: Your accessibility guide

Useful information

Address

Education City Qatar, District of Freedom, Al Luqta St

Opening times

Saturday to Thursday: 8am-8pm

Friday: 4pm-8pm

Not to miss

Qatar National Library