The national library of Saudi Arabia, redesigned in 2013 by the German firm Gerber Architekten. The building holds the country's legal deposit collection and archives, and its exhibition spaces are open to the general public. The exterior is the thing: a square building encased in a white steel lattice screen stretched between four corner pylons, the whole structure suggesting a Bedouin tent in its form.
The library is located in the al-Olaya district, a short distance from the main business towers, and the contrast between this delicate, historically referenced structure and the glass towers around it is striking. Open Sunday to Thursday. Non-Saudis can enter the public exhibition areas. The surrounding grounds are well landscaped and provide a quiet resting point.