​A new home, coupled with open, online access to many of its holdings, will enable the National Library to fulfil its objectives and role in the 21st century, making its treasures available to the scholarly community and to people of every nation and religion. The building, which is intended to house the Library and its functions for generations to come, will host two primary populations: 'users' will take advantage of the Library's extensive collections, digital access, and research facilities; 'visitors' will tour the building, attend exhibitions, or participate in lively educational and cultural activities, inspired by the Library's treasures. The building and its surroundings will provide a vibrant, stimulating physical setting – an ideal study environment, a meeting place for scholars, intellectuals, artists and all seekers of knowledge, and a dynamic venue fostering interaction and cooperation among the diverse communities it serves.

 

The design of the building will:

  •  Establish a consummate whole that reflects the Library's vision of openness
     and accessibility; its core disciplines: Judaism, Israel, Islam and the Middle
     East, and the Humanities; and the wealth of cultural treasures it holds;

  •  Create a pleasant, user-friendly space that is easy to navigate, comfortable
     and convenient for everyone in it, encouraging extended stays and frequent
     visits while providing added value to the Library's resources and services and
     encouraging participation in the activities that will take place there;

  •  Fulfil the diverse needs of large communities of users and staff while allowing
     efficient operation of the Library's work procedures as well as storage of its
     holdings in strictly controlled climatic and security conditions;

  •  Maximize the potential of the site while integrating it, with sensitivity, into the
     landscape and a built environment, characterized by the presence of major
     national and cultural institutions;

  •  Creatively combine the Library's museum component, its works of art, and its
     technology in its architectural conception;

  •  Manifest long-term sustainability and green design with an emphasis on easy,
     efficient maintenance and the flexibility to permit future changes.