Abstract
The works of Euclid and Archimedes are known to us today thanks largely to the fact they were referenced in the world's first international library. The Great Alexandrina Library on Egypt's Mediterranean coastline flourished for nearly 600 years before being destroyed in 272 AD. Last month, April 2002, nearly two millennia later, it was finally replaced with a stunning new £150 million structure that boasts the largest ever reading room and an 18 m diameter spherical planetarium. The vast 160 m diameter concrete building is cast monolithically within the world's biggest circular diaphragm wall. The new Bibliotheca Alexandria also features the largest contemporary stone sculpture—a 6200 m2 hand-carved granite façade depicting all known forms of writing—and serves as a showcase for technical innovations such as ultra sonic pile monitoring and self-repairing concrete.
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