The BOOK is a competitive project of the Tartu cultural center of the future in the second biggest city of Estonia Tartu. The purpose of the competition was to find the best architectural design for the building and outdoor space of the cultural centre, which suits the given location and milieu the most, forms a human-scale environment, and creates a whole with the urban space along the river Emajõgi.
Two components form the architecture of the building: the transparent outer shell and the inner cubic structures. Our team designed the inner building base along the development line, and the outer facade of the cultural center we turned by 12° and placed it parallel to the historical axis of Kauba Street, emphasizing the integration of historical and cultural context. This arrangement facilitates a more dynamic perception of architecture, preserves more existing green spaces and creates additional public spaces in the corners of the building.
The primary entrance is planned from the side of the preserved park along Poe Street. The entrance square flows into an embankment with an observation deck. The square offers a picturesque view of the cultural center building surrounded by the existing landscape. The building has inviting public spaces on all sides, which makes it open to the city and accessible to visitors.
A comprehensive library and a composition of multifunctional volumes inside — this is how we see the combination of various public functions in one building. A system of walkways-bridges, ramps, stairs with open spaces that connect the book areas and bring visitors to the main entrance. It resembles a street environment and thus creates the image of a ‘library in the city and a city in the library’.
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