QF Conversation: Rem Koolhaas

Award-winning Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas recently explained his approach to designing the Qatar National Library. The architect of Beijing’s iconic CCTV Headquarters and the De Rotterdam — the largest building in the Netherlands — shared his vision for the striking building, as well as how his view of Education City has evolved over the years. He also designed the Qatar Foundation (QF) Headquarters, featured in this video, which opened in early 2016.

Koolhaas talked about the great sense of responsibility he feels with his work at Education City and his concept for creating a library in Qatar that inspires multiples uses and draws the community together. His vision for the QF Headquarters, the Qatar National Library, and Education City is to create spaces that not only to serve as places of learning, but also play a part over the long term in the development of Qatar and the realization of QF’s mission to develop a knowledge-based economy.

Koolhaas’s latest project, the Qatar National Library, opened its doors to the public on 7 November.