Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria, Egypt

The library is rebuilding of an old library. This new library has really made a great impact within its community. If we just discuss the architecture of this building, it is simply great and stands out within its environment. Additionally, this building is used for many other events, including conferences, community plays, and etc. Another exceptional thing about this building is the writing engraved on the walls, it really stood out to me.

The spirit of international cooperation in which the library was conceived, funded, designed and implemented has been maintained in its management to create an institution that is truly global in its outlook. (AKDN)

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is a revival of the legendary ancient library

built in classical Greek times. (AKDN)

The rebuilding of the library has returned Alexandria to its former status as a centre for learning and exchange and provided the city with a landmark building. (AKDN)

At the same time, the building is technically outstanding (AKDN)

Alexandria is Egypt’s main port, forming a large industrial and commercial centre
and an important summer resort. (AKDN)

In 1974, the University of Alexandria began a campaign for the rebuilding
of the ancient library, choosing the current site, which is believed to be close
to the original location (AKDN)

The library was designed as a tilting disc rising from the ground, with four levels below ground and seven above. (AKDN)

In 1988, Egypt’s President Mubarak took up the project at a national level and an
international competition, organized by the Egyptian government in collaboration
with the International Union of Architects, was won by the Norwegian (AKDN)

The scale of the building is thus minimized at close quarters, so it does not overwhelm the visitor. (AKDN)

Detailed archaeological excavations of the site were carried out before construction began in 1995, and the building opened in October 2002. (AKDN)

Additional Pictures:

Linked Hybrid by Steven Holl

Liked Hybrid by Stevel Holl Architects is named the best tall building of 2009 in Asia & Australia category by the council of Tall Building and Urban Habitat. The building is 220,000 square-meters and it includes eight towers linked by eight sky bridges. The complex is located adjacent to the former city perimeter of Beijing and has more than 750 apartments; it also includes public, commercial, and recreational facilities. In addition, it has a school and a hotel as well. The focus of this art/work is to make this complex a town within itself, it provides all the daily facilities and it is now accepting over 2,500 new residents.

This concept is truly beautiful. One thing that differentiates a small town from a big city is the idea that everybody knows each other in a small town. Making this complex in a big city such as Beijing gives the possibility for that small town feeling again. Moreover, the bridges between the buildings enhance the look even further.

Habitable Polyhedron / Manuel Villa

This small little beautiful looking building has been designed as a family house backyard in suburbs. It is made so young parents and their new born children can enjor some peaceful time together away from all the daily routines of the world. Even more, when the child grows older, he/she can use this for both hobbies and personal use. This building has been constructed with places for reading, playing, relaxing, and many other activities.



The thing I personally liked the most about this piece of building is the way it blends in with nature. Although one might merely just be in their backyard, the structure of the building makes you feel like you are several miles away from your daily routines. Other usages of this building that I can think of include meditation, yoga, and other activities that connect you with the nature.

When looking about the building itself, I especially appreciate the shape of the overall structure. Also, the inside feel of this building being made of delicate woods makes it look as though it is part of nature.

Some of the best engineering ideas: Houston Dome

Houston, the fourth most populated city in the USA, has always been an easy target for hurricanes. Moreover, it is also one of the hottest cities in the country. Both of these issues are costing the city a tremendous amount of money. In addition to the lost of resources, billions of dollars are spent on recoveries from hurricanes. Furthermore, the hot temperature is costing the city to burn a massive amount of electricity. To overcome these issues, engineers are suggesting building a dome over the city.

Because of the height and size of the dome, cranes and scaffolding aren’t practical. Engineers are planning on using heavy-lift helicopters and a new type of helium-filled dirigible to move pre-assembled pieces to the top of the 1,500-foot high dome.

The structure is made of hexagons stacked in a honeycomb pattern. But to make the surface curve, 12 pentagons are strategically positioned to give the surface a dome shape.

Massive doors can be closed to insulate the city from hurricanes and other inclement weather. A concrete foundation ring 3.1 miles around anchors the dome deep into the ground.

At the Dome's highest point, an array of hinged panels can be opened to provide ventilation, help regulate temperature, clear humidity or pollution and reduce the load on the dome's air treatment systems. They can even be used to free captive birds.

Rather than using glass, engineers are using a strong and lightweight plastic called ethylene tetrafluoroethylene, or ETFE. The triple-layered surface weighs just 1 percent as much as glass, won’t shatter, can be easily repaired and will gently drift down to earth like a feather if it comes loose from the dome’s frame.

ETFE made its big splash in the architecture scene with its use in Beijing’s National Aquatic Center for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

The Houston dome’s surface area will stretch over 21 million square feet, making it the biggest structure with the largest roof in the world. More than 369,000 narrow steel struts form the frame, and almost 75,000 of them could fail before the dome becomes unstable.

Large helium-filled air ships would be used during construction to help hold the dome’s shape until the structure is complete and freestanding. One of these fuel-efficient ships can stay aloft for hours and carry a 4,100-pound payload

This idea was stolen from the Simpsons show. I am not sure how doable this is, but it looks really interesting. It might cost a fortune to build this but it will surely save money in the long run. Besides, it will be a great piece of architecture and will attract tourists from all over the world.

Lotus Leaves and Skyscrapers

Downtowns of all big cities are full of skyscrapers. Skyscrapers probably started as a way to accommodate more space, but with growing technologies they have also made the cities look more and more beautiful, which have only made them more popular. However, one of the main concerns with skyscrapers and even average sized buildings is the long and hectic cleaning process involved. While traveling through the downtown of Atlanta, I have witnessed numerous times people climbing down a rope on multistory buildings just to clean the windows. Also, they used long cranes and other equipments just to keep the building looking good. This might seem like a waste of resources but it is something that has to be done regardless.

Beijing, China

Gateshead, U.K.

Lotus leaves have a very unique surface structure that creates high water repellency. When water is dropped on the surface of the lotus leaves, it flows down immediately picking up the small dirt particles on the surface, which enables minimization of adhesion.

This same surface structure can be created on many different things we use in our daily lives. One of these things could be those tall buildings we see in downtowns. This should save a lot of resources wasted on keeping the buildings clean.