diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index e69de29b..632b6af8 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# emacs temp files
+*~
+
+# sphinx build files
+docs/_build
diff --git a/docs/Makefile b/docs/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..298ea9e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+# Minimal makefile for Sphinx documentation
+#
+
+# You can set these variables from the command line.
+SPHINXOPTS    =
+SPHINXBUILD   = sphinx-build
+SOURCEDIR     = .
+BUILDDIR      = _build
+
+# Put it first so that "make" without argument is like "make help".
+help:
+	@$(SPHINXBUILD) -M help "$(SOURCEDIR)" "$(BUILDDIR)" $(SPHINXOPTS) $(O)
+
+.PHONY: help Makefile
+
+# Catch-all target: route all unknown targets to Sphinx using the new
+# "make mode" option.  $(O) is meant as a shortcut for $(SPHINXOPTS).
+%: Makefile
+	@$(SPHINXBUILD) -M $@ "$(SOURCEDIR)" "$(BUILDDIR)" $(SPHINXOPTS) $(O)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docs/conf.py b/docs/conf.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c0c1c7b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/conf.py
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+# Configuration file for the Sphinx documentation builder.
+#
+# This file only contains a selection of the most common options. For a full
+# list see the documentation:
+# http://www.sphinx-doc.org/en/master/config
+
+# -- Path setup --------------------------------------------------------------
+
+# If extensions (or modules to document with autodoc) are in another directory,
+# add these directories to sys.path here. If the directory is relative to the
+# documentation root, use os.path.abspath to make it absolute, like shown here.
+#
+# import os
+# import sys
+# sys.path.insert(0, os.path.abspath('.'))
+
+
+# -- Project information -----------------------------------------------------
+
+project = 'Zarr specs'
+copyright = '2019, Zarr Developers'
+author = 'Zarr Developers'
+
+
+# -- General configuration ---------------------------------------------------
+
+# Add any Sphinx extension module names here, as strings. They can be
+# extensions coming with Sphinx (named 'sphinx.ext.*') or your custom
+# ones.
+extensions = [
+]
+
+# Add any paths that contain templates here, relative to this directory.
+templates_path = ['_templates']
+
+# List of patterns, relative to source directory, that match files and
+# directories to ignore when looking for source files.
+# This pattern also affects html_static_path and html_extra_path.
+exclude_patterns = ['_build', 'Thumbs.db', '.DS_Store']
+
+
+# -- Options for HTML output -------------------------------------------------
+
+# The theme to use for HTML and HTML Help pages.  See the documentation for
+# a list of builtin themes.
+#
+html_theme = 'alabaster'
+
+# Add any paths that contain custom static files (such as style sheets) here,
+# relative to this directory. They are copied after the builtin static files,
+# so a file named "default.css" will overwrite the builtin "default.css".
+html_static_path = ['_static']
diff --git a/docs/index.rst b/docs/index.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d9db7ff9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/index.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+Zarr specifications
+===================
+
+Under construction.
+
+.. toctree::
+   :maxdepth: 3
+   :caption: Contents:
+
+   protocol
+
+
+Indices and tables
+==================
+
+* :ref:`genindex`
+* :ref:`modindex`
+* :ref:`search`
diff --git a/docs/make.bat b/docs/make.bat
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..27f573b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/make.bat
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+@ECHO OFF
+
+pushd %~dp0
+
+REM Command file for Sphinx documentation
+
+if "%SPHINXBUILD%" == "" (
+	set SPHINXBUILD=sphinx-build
+)
+set SOURCEDIR=.
+set BUILDDIR=_build
+
+if "%1" == "" goto help
+
+%SPHINXBUILD% >NUL 2>NUL
+if errorlevel 9009 (
+	echo.
+	echo.The 'sphinx-build' command was not found. Make sure you have Sphinx
+	echo.installed, then set the SPHINXBUILD environment variable to point
+	echo.to the full path of the 'sphinx-build' executable. Alternatively you
+	echo.may add the Sphinx directory to PATH.
+	echo.
+	echo.If you don't have Sphinx installed, grab it from
+	echo.http://sphinx-doc.org/
+	exit /b 1
+)
+
+%SPHINXBUILD% -M %1 %SOURCEDIR% %BUILDDIR% %SPHINXOPTS%
+goto end
+
+:help
+%SPHINXBUILD% -M help %SOURCEDIR% %BUILDDIR% %SPHINXOPTS%
+
+:end
+popd
diff --git a/docs/protocol.rst b/docs/protocol.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8a434bef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/protocol.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+Protocol
+========
+
+Under construction.
+
+.. toctree::
+   :maxdepth: 2
+   :caption: Contents:
+
+   protocol/core
+   protocol/extensions
+
diff --git a/docs/protocol/core.rst b/docs/protocol/core.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..404329d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/protocol/core.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+Core
+====
+
+Under construction.
+
+.. toctree::
+   :maxdepth: 1
+   :caption: Contents:
+
+   core/v3.0
+
+
diff --git a/docs/protocol/extensions.rst b/docs/protocol/extensions.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..99686708
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/protocol/extensions.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+Extensions
+==========
+
+Under construction.
+
+.. toctree::
+   :maxdepth: 1
+   :caption: Contents:
+
+   extensions/todo