Sharjah 24: The House of Wisdom is a magnet for curious minds, dreamers and learners. It is designed as a space to enhance cultural understanding, and cross-cultural communication between nations, while offering continuous opportunities for learning and gaining knowledge.
Apart from 300,000 books and e-books in all genres which can be accessed through interactive digital self-service stations, it offers several creative spaces to reinforce learning and spark innovation.
The House of Wisdom’s features offer many ways of expanding your social, cultural, and intellectual consciousness. Let us take a look at the ways it can enrich you.
1. Marvel at The Scroll: What strikes a first-time visitor upon entering the expansive grounds of the House of Wisdom that sprawls across 12,000 square metres is the awe-inspiring sight of the torch-shaped 36-metre-tall monument, known as The Scroll, rising into the sky. This contemporary interpretation of the ancient Arabic scroll was created by the famous UK-based artist Gerry Judah to commemorate Sharjah’s yearlong tenure as the UNESCO World Book Capital 2019.
2. Connect with nature at the geometrically designed garden: As you walk through the geometrically designed garden, you can enjoy the ambience created by hundreds of trees belonging to various species, including indigenous varieties, it is home to, or just revel in the calm and peace it generates around the iconic library and cultural centre.
3. See what future hubs of knowledge will look like, today: The House of Wisdom is indeed a sight to behold. Like a literal beacon of knowledge, the predominantly glass structure with a large floating roof is lit up with natural light, minimising the need for energy-consuming light sources.
4. Bask in the serenity of the green Wisdom Square: Stepping into the spacious lobby, your eyes are immediately drawn to the central courtyard, called the Wisdom Square. Taking its inspiration from Oasis in Al Ain, the Wisdom Square brings the outdoors inside. Bursting with plants and a fully-grown tree, with calming water features and bathed in light from the open sky, the Wisdom Square is a patch of natural greens that brings a sense of calm into this essentially modern social space.
5. Work, read, gather and socialise in hi-tech meeting rooms, workspaces and exhibitions: Schedule a meeting, host an exhibition or just book a meeting pod to work in quiet. The House of Wisdom has 15 halls and lobbies that can cater to any requirement. These are multi-purpose spaces which include the Ibn Duraid Hall, named after one of the most prominent poets and linguists in Arab history; Al Rasheed Hall, a high-tech conference room equipped with the latest audio-visual aids; and the Al Khawarizmi Exhibition area, ideal spaces for bringing art and culture to a diverse audience.
The Al Khawarizmi Exhibition space opened with Iraqi-born and New York-based artist, Wafaa Bilal’s major solo exhibition titled ‘168: 01’ when House of Wisdom was inaugurated. It also featured another Bilal exhibition, ‘The Ashes Series’. After hosting Bilal’s works for almost six months, the curators of the Al Khawarizmi space are already planning their next big artistic offering, which will be showcased soon. Watch this space!
There are also several specially designed Meeting Pods, intimate seating arrangements that can be used for small meetings or just to sit and read in isolation.
6. Ignite young minds with a mix of learning and fun at Little Reader: Parents who want to relax with a book or take in one of the many activities at the House of Wisdom can do so without worrying about their children getting impatient as they will be completely fascinated by The Little Reader, a dedicated space to educate and entertain children through books, board games, STEM workshops and other hands-on activities, in a safe and fun environment.
7. Women can enjoy exclusivity at the Ladies Diwan: For ladies who crave their own space to relax in, the House of Wisdom offers the comforting environs of the Ladies Diwan, complete with ample light reading material.
8. Design, fabricate and create at Al Jazri Fabrication Lab: Are you the creative type, bursting with ideas that you cannot wait to set in motion? Welcome to the Al Jazri Fabrication Lab, a makerspace equipped with cutting-edge technologies, located on the mezzanine floor. It includes state-of-the-art 3D printers, laser and vinyl cutting machines, and Computer Numerical Control tools, to help develop problem-solving and collaboration skills, and empower the maker.
9. Print ‘instant books’ at the Espresso Book Machine: If you have written your first book and desire to see what it will look like in print, look no further than the Espresso Book Machine at the House of Wisdom. It is a state-of-the-art on-demand printing and binding machine that can produce a perfectly bound book in less than five minutes.
10. A multicuisine restaurant to quench the fire within: Hungry after consuming all the knowledge on offer? The delicious aromas wafting from Chie, the multicuisine restaurant, beckons from one corner. It is also the perfect place for parents to relax at while keeping an eye on their children at The Little Reader area.
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