Pop Up Library

The Pop Up Library is a temporary pavilion designed for the 2017 Sharjah International Book Fair,which will be celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. The pavilion is inspired by the fluidity of Arabic calligraphy, with a spiral path carrying visitors through the pavilions library collection into a central garden, similar to those of traditional Arabic villas.The pavilion is constructed out of solid sections of bio-based foam connected by strips of Velcro, allowing it to be easily assembled and transported to venues beyond the Book Fair. Further, it is fully accessible and completely open to the public. The foam comprises both the structure and enclosure of the pavilion, with book shelves, seating, light openings and different reading spaces all integrated into the building form. The lightweight pavilion does not require a foundation or anchorage, relaying simply on the weight of the gravel ballast of the garden to hold it in place, making it ideally suited to travel to various indoor and outdoor venues. The library is completely self-sufficient, with day lighting providing most of the illumination, and augmented with solar powered artificial light after dark.