Qatar National Library

The Qatar National Library stands in Education City on the western side of Doha, Qatar, and is one of the country's most striking modern buildings. Designed by Rem Koolhaas and the Office for Metropolitan Architecture, it takes the form of a large diamond-shaped volume whose floor folds upward in terraces. Bookshelves line the stepped levels, so that visitors standing at the entrance see the entire reading hall as a single open landscape under a white ceiling. Study desks, reading areas and quiet corners are placed along the terraces, and the shelves hold a large part of the national collection. Beyond the main hall, the library houses a heritage collection that includes manuscripts, rare books, maps and historic documents on Qatar, the Gulf and the Islamic world, and visitors can usually see selected items in display cases. Children's and family areas, exhibition spaces and a cafe round out the building. Most visitors spend about an hour, which is enough to walk the terraces, view the heritage displays and take photographs. The best photo angles are from the entrance level looking across the hall, from the upper terraces looking back down, and from the exterior at an angle that shows the diamond form. Weekday daytime is the most relaxed time to visit, though the library is also used by students, so quiet behaviour is expected and flash photography is discouraged. Hours are generally about 08:00 to 20:00 with reduced hours on Fridays, and entry is free. The Green Line metro station at Education City is a five to ten minute walk, and the library can be combined with other Education City sights such as the university campuses and the nearby mosque and gardens. Modest dress is advised.