I Can See your Orbs

(2015) "Qatar National Library— based on Qatar's tradition of Dar Al Kutub, the first public library in the Gulf Region founded on 29. December 1962 — will serve everybody from world-class researchers looking for high specialized scientific articles to the general public enjoying listening to music or watching videos. The new building of Qatar National Library in Education City, designed by star architect Rem Koolhaas, will open in 2014. A landscape of knowledge will be displayed to the visitors, a childrens library, gaming section, heritage exhibition and a vast amount of books and journals in printed, and digital format. Music and film collections will be presented to the public and students and researchers will have unlimited possibilities to use the digital collection in the library."

Design by: Duffy & Partners (Minneapolis, MN)

Opinion/Notes: This is kind of unexpected. I'm very intrigued by what the reactions will be. It reminds me of that one time on Friends when Joey is eating through what others consider a horrible dessert by Rachel and he's going "Custard, good. Jam, good. Meat, good!". Here, it's like that: Bubbles, good. Hard-edged architectural icon, good. Angular arabic script, good! It's very disparate elements coming together in a way that puzzlingly works. Or maybe it doesn't. I really like the contrast in elements and find that it's appropriate for all the extremes happening in Qatar.

Select Quote: The Qatar National Library was built to represent knowledge and imagination. Qatar defines itself as a vibrant reading and research culture, rooted in history, and the state-of-the-art structure — designed by famed architect Rem Koolhaas — is a modern landmark. The captivating identity system is designed to stir both place and thought: Bold lines intersect to create a window-like frame of clarity while colorful orbs evolve throughout, expressing the transformative nature of information combined with creative power.