The design of the new library is based on a simple yet radical
architectural concept generated by the specific site conditions as well
as its anticipated role as a universal library. Its form implies endless
expansion towards the infinitely small and the infinitely large, being
able to contain everything around as well as contain itself.
A vertical twist on the typical stacking of floors – the epitome of
functional space – attempts to find the golden section between spatial
indeterminacy and programmatic specificity. A series of L-shaped slabs
channel any future desire for programmatic freedom both in the
horizontal and the vertical.
The L-shaped slabs are extruded throughout the site forming a dramatic
internal topography of artificial canyons in the central spine of the
library with natural light entering from the top and long vistas of the
sky and the city in a single continuum. The vertical slabs are further
bent in parts like soft tectonic plates in order to accommodate special
programmatic needs. Informal apertures on the slabs establish internal
visual connectivity while a set of different stair types cut through the
various zones organizing the circulation in a theatrical way offering
an exciting alternation of spatial experiences as one wanders through
the library.
Horizontal and vertical slabs have gained equal importance sealing each
space from the previous acoustically and programmatically while
orientating the building towards the park and the sky and away from the
road and railway noise. The library has the ability of getting quieter
towards the top. From the first zone on the ground floor, where noisy
public facilities are placed, up to the top zone of contemplation and
silence the L-shaped slabs delineate the stratification of the different
sound zones. As quietness increases towards the top, program definition
loosens, inviting all the different user types of the library into a
peaceful garden.
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