BIG to design Kazakhstan's new National Library

The 33000 m2 project, which was described by the judges as "being both modern and rational and anchored in a classical vocabulary of traditional libraries", is in the form of intertwined loops that form a Möbius strip.

Commenting on the design, BIG's Bjarke Ingels, who is also a founding partner of the Astana National Library, said, "The design of the National Library combines four universal archetypes across space and time into a new national symbol: the circle, the rotunda, the arch and the yurt are merged into the form of a Möbius strip."

Visitors to the library will find a "massive" archive of material chronicling the history of the Kazakh culture and language. The archive is organized as a circular loop of knowledge, surrounded by light and air on both sides.