The first building of the National Library of Iran was designed by Andre Godard, a well-known French architect and archaeologist. It was next to the building of the National Museum of Iran and and officially opened in 1316 S. H. A few years after the opening of the National Library, there was a need to expand its space. As a reault, a new building was constructed in 1340 adding 1000 square meters to the infrastucture of the National Library building.
After the National Library became an independent organization, the idea of expanding the collection of National Library buildings became serious again. In 1375, the cornerstone of the new building was laid by Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani, the current president. Its construction work was completed in the summer of 1383 and it was officially opened on Esfand 11 of the same year during a ceremony with the presence of the President of the time, Hojjat-ul-Islam wa al-Muslimeen Seyyed Mohammad Khatami.
he new building of the National Library is built on eight floors and covers approximately 97,000 square meters of floor space. It is designed to withstand earthquakes measuring up to 9 on the Richter scale. Under normal circumstances, this building can accommodate 4 million volumes. However, with the use of compact shelving, it has the capacity to hold up to 7 million volumes of books and periodicals.
One of the most important features of the building is its stepped architecture and pyramidal composition. The stepped volume of the building has made it possible for the light of the horizon from the openings and marginal skylights between the floors (spray windows) and the vertical light from the ceiling skylights located on the roof levels, to flood all the main spaces and study halls with light. The pyramid composition of the building is reminiscent of the composition of most of Iran’s past architectural buildings, and the lighting of the interior spaces by providing the most light from the ceiling skylights and building facades evokes the atmosphere of bazaars and timchehs, mosques and isolated buildings such as castles and citadels in the viewer’s mind. The pyramidal composition is not limited to the main volume of the building and its continuation in the low and green heights around the area. The building and the area form a single body that stretches to the edges of the ground making this permanent building friendly with its surrounding environment.