The House of Wisdom, a library and cultural centre designed by Foster + Partners for Sharjah, will feature a cantilevered roof and a book-printing machine.
The library's roof will overhang the two-storey building's facades by 15-metres in all directions to provide shade during the hot days of the city in the United Arab Emirates.
The overhanging roof will shade the library in Sharjah
The House of Wisdom's glass walls will also be shaded by moveable aluminium screens of varied densities, designed to diffuse the afternoon sun.
Inside, the library will feature reading pods and a "book espresso machine" that can print and bind books on demand.
The UAE city has been named UNESCO World Book Capital for 2019
Foster + Partners, which was founded by British architect Norman Foster in 1967, designed the House of Wisdom for the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority. Sharjah is this year's UNESCO World Book Capital, an annual event that promotes books and reading in the host city.
Moveable aluminium screens can shade the glass walls of the House of Wisdom
"Long considered primarily as repositories for books and periodicals, the role of libraries in the life of contemporary communities is set to be reimagined for the 21st century," said Gerard Evenden, Foster + Partners' head of studio.
"The House of Wisdom conceptualises the library as a social hub for learning, supported by innovation and technology."
A machine that prints and binds books on deman...