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  • Children climbing artificial sand dunes at the children's library in abu dhabi
  • Children and parents next to the sand dunes at the children's library in abu dhabi
  • Children and parents at the big wooden staircase at the children's library in abu dhabi
  • A cave like space inside the children's library in abu dhabi. A warm, safe, and inviting nook
  • Kids playing on top of oversized letters of the alfabet and numbers at the children's library in abu dhabi
  • 3D cartoon and cultural symbols at the children's library in abu dhabi. A speech bubble, hashtag, explosion
  • Close-up of the 3D cartoon and cultural symbols at the children's library in abu dhabi
  • LOCATION: ABU DHABI, UAE
  • CLIENT: DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE AND TOURISM – ABU DHABI (DCT ABU DHABI)
  • SIZE: 5,250 M²
  • YEAR: 2019
  • STATUS: COMPLETED
  • ARCHITECT: CEBRA
  • CONSERVATION ARCHITECT: ELGAARD ARCHITECTURE
  • ENGINEER: GHD

Forming part of the modernization of the Cultural Foundation the Children’s Library in Abu Dhabi constitutes a unique addition to the public programme of both the cultural centre and the city as it is the Emirate’s first library solely dedicated to children. The library is integrated across the three floors surrounding the newly established diagonal atrium in the western part of the Cultural Foundation.

The Children’s Library architecture is similar to a life-size pop-up book. As the children roam around the library, they are introduced to their favourite stories in analogue and digital formats.
The library creates an innovative environment that fosters creativity, literacy and life-long learning, aiming to excite a love of reading, and to connect children with the arts, technology, and each other. The library design supports this by creating a wonderful, diverse and immersive spatial landscape, in which children can explore their favourite stories and discover new worlds in both analogue and digital formats as they roam the different environments.

The three storeys of the library each have a theme inspired by the diverse landscape of the UAE to bring the content of the books alive. The ground floor features the exhibition and workshop areas while the 1st floor transports the children to the desert, inviting the children to play and learn on “sand dunes”. Visiting the second floor, the children experience an oasis theme with “falaj” water channels flowing with books.

The visionary library is designed in collaboration with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and is part of the masterplan reinstating Qasr al Hosn site as Abu Dhabi’s cultural heart and integrating the library in the existing Cultural Foundation Building.

Read more about children’s library architecture on
The National
Abu Dhabi World
Friday Magazine

Other cultural projects by CEBRA
Experimentarium
Cultural Foundation
Al Musalla