Mohammed Bin Rashid Library
Mohammed Bin Rashid Library
Information
Owner
Dubai Municipality
Architect
Architectural Consultancy Group (ACG)
Product
SageGlass Classic DGU
Completed
2019
Project Size
61,350 ft² / 5,700 m²
Body

The Challenge

The Mohammed bin Rashid Library, whose complex architectural design suggests an open book, is the largest library and cultural project in the Arab world, expected to receive around nine million visitors annually. The 7-story building will house more than 4.5 million books, one of the world’s largest electronic libraries, as well as book conservation laboratories. It will also serve as a venue for cultural and intellectual events and art exhibitions, once completed later this year.

In a region where summer temperatures easily exceed 40°C and where the sun is shining brutally, the library needed a very efficient solar shading solution to protect the precious books and offer a comfortable environment to the library visitors, without hiding the stunning view on surrounding area, including Dubai Creek. The solution also had to be as innovative as the rest of the building.

 

The Solution

SageGlass, which represents more than 70% of the library’s total glass elevation, was the perfect solution for this project.

The innovative smart glass can be programmed to tint or clear automatically in response to the sun, thus controlling daylight and glare in order to provide a comfortable indoor environment to the visitors and library’s staff. It can also be controlled manually via a smartphone application if a specific shading is needed in an area, depending on the activities or presentations planned.

When changing tint, SageGlass regulates as well heat gain; therefore, less energy – and money – is used to keep the building cool. The smart glass also blocks 100% of the UV radiations: the books kept in the library are fully protected.

Finally, thanks to its ability to block heat and glare without the use of blinds or shades, SageGlass preserves views of the outdoors and the stunning design imagined by the architects for the library.

 

The Benefits

By blocking the sun throughout hot days or letting it in when needed, SageGlass will provide a superior comfort to the visitors and save energy, helping the library to pursue LEED and Al Safat green certifications (with a platinum level), all while preserving the view to the outdoors and the priceless books.