Alexandria Library, Egypt

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina (Alexandria Library) was for several centuries the cultural centre of the western world. With the aim of reviving the world's most famous ancient library and to preserve eight million books, a new library has been constructed on almost the same site as its predecessor. It has a design life span of 200 years and the most immediate threat to its longevity is its proximity to the Mediterranean Sea. The architectural design featured four basement levels, with up to six working floors under the sloping roof. The library's orientation is dictated by the need to minimize the amount of direct sunlight entering the building. The library building is supported on a piled raft. Adjacent to the library building, a planetarium and a science museum have been constructed and supported on a plain raft without piles.