Bookstand

Christian added company HAV Eiendom AS
2 years ago

Christian added this project

The speed of change in society, especially in metropolitan life, has increased significantly, yet, urban developments are not in pace. A democratic, well-considered, urban development and subsequent building process takes many years. Meanwhile economic and socio-political circumstances including consumer demands and wishes change, often resulting in outdated solutions.

How can the ‘hardware’ of a city, its buildings and public spaces, sufficiently adapt? Aspirations for flexibility, for adjustment in building, often result in unsolicited uniformity subsequently resulting in demolition after a few decades and so on; full circle. On the other hand, neither an approach of mere iconic expression does the job; it ends up in shared boredom.

So, how to build a library? - The epitome of consistency and flexibility. By being a rock of knowledge and provide instant, multimedia information. It would be wonderful if it could adapt with whatever significant change will take place, being contemporary all the time. To absorb daily life, whatever is interesting to learn, to know, yet being able to memorize and value history and show that it has done so since centuries.

The Deichmanske Bibliotek is designed as a permeable membrane on both sides. In between lies a more solid element. In contrast with the traditional, monumental library that has a hard shell and an overwhelming, introvert reading room, we have inverted this concept.

The ground floor is a lowered level of continuous urban street life, an urban living room, creating multifarious and immediate visual relationship from the surrounding streets into the library and its related activities. The three main levels of the library in close proximity to the street level allow various circulation routes of visitors between entrance and exit points around the building.

The new library facilitates and stimulates the interaction of persons, books, other media and technical facilities. The membrane operates as a street and the library functions as the kiosk on the corner, the bookstand along the sidewalk. One can read, watch or listen while passing by. In BOOKSTAND the city of Oslo becomes part of the library and the library part of the city; a space to organize different events, from autonomous use in segments to large-scale exposure. It will create new potentials beyond a library building as a container of books.

The entry hall, forum, partly inside and partly outside will have the advantage of bigness in order to host even large conferences and parties. Technically, it may even be entirely openair in summer time. The sunken plaza gives access to the library. Here, one can be outside, protected from the prevailing winds and the intense urban traffic. In wintertime, the shallow water pond (instead of the planned extension of the fjord) can serve as the ‘Rockefeller Ice Skating Square’.

Altogether, the building should be just sufficiently enough characteristic to be able to serve the city of Oslo as main library but at the same time not ‘overdress’ the opera house. The Deichmanske Bibliotek, not as a vulnerable diva but as a streetwise super server, a giant BOOKSTAND. This is in fact a liberating feeling: not to be iconic.

2 years ago