ARCHITECT: Architectural Consulting Group, asp Architekten, + Obermeyer Planen+Berated Munich
OWNER: Dubai Municipality
SIZE: 600,750 Square Feet (SF)
Our team provided structural engineering services for the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library is a landmark cultural facility in Dubai, named after His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and designed to symbolize knowledge as an open book. The eight-story structure, with an additional basement level, was realized following an award-winning architectural competition concept and opened in 2022.
From a structural standpoint, the project required a robust foundation system consisting of more than 1,000 drilled piers to support the large-scale superstructure. The building utilizes a hybrid structural system combining cast-in-place reinforced and post-tensioned concrete with structural steel elements, including composite beams and long-span box trusses.
A defining engineering feature is the series of cantilevered upper levels, where steel box trusses extend up to 100 feet from internal reinforced concrete cores to support the top three floors and roof. This system enabled the realization of the building’s distinctive architectural form while maintaining structural efficiency and stability.
The facility houses a wide range of program elements, including a multi-million-volume library collection, auditorium, exhibition spaces, and automated book storage and retrieval systems, requiring careful coordination of structural systems with complex functional and vertical transportation requirements.
