diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index be1169a..8539f35 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -80,6 +80,15 @@ version = "1.0.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "175571dd1d178ced59193a6fc02dde1b972eb0bc56c892cde9beeceac5bf0f6b"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "ash"
+version = "0.38.0+1.3.281"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "0bb44936d800fea8f016d7f2311c6a4f97aebd5dc86f09906139ec848cf3a46f"
+dependencies = [
+ "libloading",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "atomic-waker"
 version = "1.1.2"
@@ -180,6 +189,8 @@ name = "client"
 version = "0.1.0"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
+ "raw-window-handle",
+ "renderer",
  "tracing",
  "tracing-subscriber",
  "winit",
@@ -963,6 +974,10 @@ dependencies = [
 [[package]]
 name = "renderer"
 version = "0.1.0"
+dependencies = [
+ "ash",
+ "thiserror 2.0.18",
+]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "rustc_version"
diff --git a/crates/client/Cargo.toml b/crates/client/Cargo.toml
index 68a84b7..3545640 100644
--- a/crates/client/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/client/Cargo.toml
@@ -8,3 +8,5 @@ anyhow = "1.0.102"
 tracing = "0.1.44"
 tracing-subscriber = "0.3.23"
 winit = "0.30.13"
+renderer = { path = "../renderer" }
+raw-window-handle = "0.6.2"
diff --git a/crates/renderer/Cargo.toml b/crates/renderer/Cargo.toml
index c29f61c..5c0e449 100644
--- a/crates/renderer/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/renderer/Cargo.toml
@@ -4,3 +4,5 @@ version = "0.1.0"
 edition = "2024"
 
 [dependencies]
+ash = "0.38.0"
+thiserror = "2.0.18"
diff --git a/crates/renderer/src/error.rs b/crates/renderer/src/error.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..923b351
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/renderer/src/error.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+use thiserror::Error;
+
+#[derive(Debug, Error)]
+pub enum RendererError {
+    #[error("Failed to load Vulkan library")]
+    LoadFailed(#[from] ash::LoadingError),
+    #[error("Failed to create Vulkan instance")]
+    InstanceCreateFailed(#[from] ash::vk::Result)
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/crates/renderer/src/lib.rs b/crates/renderer/src/lib.rs
index b93cf3f..8a062c1 100644
--- a/crates/renderer/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/renderer/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,14 +1,33 @@
-pub fn add(left: u64, right: u64) -> u64 {
-    left + right
+pub mod error;
+
+use std::ffi::c_char;
+use ash::{Entry, Instance, vk};
+
+pub use error::RendererError;
+
+pub struct Renderer {
+    _entry: Entry,
+    instance: Instance,
 }
 
-#[cfg(test)]
-mod tests {
-    use super::*;
+impl Renderer {
+    /// Initializes the Vulkan renderer.
+    /// `required_extensions` are raw C-strings (pointers) provided by the windowing system.
+    pub fn new(required_extensions: &[*const c_char]) -> Result<Self, RendererError> {
+        let entry = unsafe { Entry::load() }?;
 
-    #[test]
-    fn it_works() {
-        let result = add(2, 2);
-        assert_eq!(result, 4);
+        let app_info = vk::ApplicationInfo::default()
+            .api_version(vk::API_VERSION_1_3);
+
+        let create_info = vk::InstanceCreateInfo::default()
+            .application_info(&app_info)
+            .enabled_extension_names(required_extensions);
+
+        let instance = unsafe { entry.create_instance(&create_info, None)? };
+
+        Ok(Self {
+            _entry: entry,
+            instance,
+        })
     }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file