Library Buildings around the World

Four large glass panels afford views from the cultural centre over the water, and also admit generous levels of daylight into the
interior. These glass panels act as large eyes that look out to all four corners of the world. In the evening, these windows glow and
fields of light are reflected in the water. The rest of the façade consists of large surfaces covered with zinc, interrupted by small,
vertical slits that project beams of light into the building. The zinc casing gives the building a lightweight look and creates an elegant
interplay between the sky and the water.
The Culture Island of Middelfart is created from its surroundings. It is a spectacular architectural sculpture inspired by the sea and
by the two distinctive bridges that span the Little Belt on each side of the Culture Island. The trapeze-shaped glass panels and curved
surfaces suggest associations with ships and sails. With its dynamic sweeping façades, the Culture Island of Middelfart is a finely
honed exercise in dramatic architectural form, further enhanced by the continuously changing light characteristic of the area.
(Schmidt)
The Royal Library, Copenhagen – Denmark 1995 – 1999
Client: Danish Ministry of Culture, Area: 21,000 m² new build, 7,000 m² conversion, Construction sum € 49 million excl. VAT,
Competition 1993, 1st prize in european competition, Engineer: Moe & Brødsgaard A/S, Interior design: shldesign
Awards
1998, The Danish Arts Foundation Award 1998
1999, The Eckersberg Medal 1999
1999, The Timber Industry Information Council Award, Ground-breaking use of wood
2000, The Architecture Prize of the Municipality of Copenhagen
2000, Nominated for the Mies van der Rohe Award
2001, The Nykredit Architecture Prize
2003, Du Pont Benedictus Award
The Royal Library is with its clean-cut lines and glittering polished surfaces one of the most significant architectural landmarks on
the Copenhagen waterfront. Clad in black granite, the extension to the Royal Library is known as The Black Diamond.
Situated in the historic heart of Copenhagen, the extension marks a radical shift from traditional library structure and
accommodates a range of cultural facilities. Open and essentially democratic, the building includes scientific and literary institutions,
exhibition rooms, a bookshop, a café and a restaurant, as well as a roof terrace and a hall with 600 seats for concerts, theatrical
performances and conferences. The extension has doubled the library’s overall size. The open shelves can accommodate more than
200,000 books compared to the previous capacity of 45,000 books. There are six reading rooms with a total of 486 seats.
The new library has seven storeys plus a basement. The solid black cube is divided in two by a vast glazed atrium housing the
majority of public functions. This central space, affording panoramic views over the waterfront, also serves as a significant source of
daylight which is dispersed throughout the building.
The Royal Library has become an icon for Copenhagen – a prominent, accessible and public focal point for the life in the city. The
aim of the design was to create an informal meeting place for citizens in Copenhagen, students, tourists and restaurant guests. The
dynamic rooms are crowded with people and filled with movement and life, and in a sophisticated way, the building connects the
public and private areas. The purpose of the public space around the building is to create a natural meeting point for everyone in
Copenhagen. (Schmidt)
Katuaq – Cultur Centre, Skibhavnsvej, Nuuts – Greenland 1994 – 1997
Client: Nordic Council of Ministers, Greenland’s Home Rule and Nuuk Municipality, Area: 4,800 m²
Construction sum € 12 million excl. VAT, Competition 1992, 1st prize in restricted scandinavian competition, Engineer: Rambøll A/S
NIRAS A/S
Awards:
1997, Selected Buildings Award
1998, The Nykredit Architecture Prize
1998, The Danish Arts Foundation Award
1999, The Eckersberg Medal
Inspired by Greenland’s dramatic scenery of icebergs, snowfields and mountains, the main element of the building is sheathed by a
floating, undulating screen of golden larch wood. This second skin lends the scheme an elegant airiness, creating a contrast with the
solid form of the core building. The screen acts as an architectural metaphor for the Northern Lights, whereas the dark and massive
form of the main building is reminiscent of the icy mountains of Greenland.
Daylight streams into the large foyer through roof lights and narrow oblong glass slits in the external screen. The foyer serves as an
indoor public piazza for the city and is divided into separate areas by three free-standing geometric structures housing the main
facilities of the Cultural Centre: a square box for the television studio, a triangular structure for the café and a circular form for the
multi-purpose auditorium which has seating for 550 people and can also be used as a cinema or a concert or conference hall. The
Cultural Centre of Greenland in Nuuk is a dynamic meeting place for Inuits from all over the northern hemisphere.
Cultural Centre and Library, Karlshamn – Sweden Competion 2013 1ft Prize
The New Cultural Centre and Library in Karlshamn, Sweden, is designed to gather the city’s cultural functions under one
roof. schmidt hammer lassen architects has just won an international competition to design this 5,000 square metre cultural
centre. Karlshamn will get a sculptural and flexible building containing a library, an exhibition area, a cinema, a tourist
office and a café. It will be the city’s new meeting place and will embrace diversity.
The building is situated on Östra Piren between the industrial harbour, the local folk high school, the city and the beautiful
Swedish skerries. The facade and roof are designed to meet the scale and sight lines of the surroundings hereby creating a
distinctive shape.
“Through a poetic interpretation of the surroundings we have created a meeting place, which will be a striking visual focal
point that connects the city to the landscape and the water,” stated Ms Trine Berthold, associate partner at schmidt hammer
lassen architects. She continued: “The meeting place is defined by a sculptural, folded roof made of wood that gathers
activities and visitors in the building under one roof – which is both the motto and the main concept of our design.”
The main access to the Cultural Centre and Library will be from the square at Östra Piren. A large glass facade ensures
visual contact between the inside of the building and the surroundings. Visitors will be able to get an overview of the whole
cultural centre from the information square and the atrium in the centre of the building. The different functions are
carefully situated to create synergy while ensuring open, flexible and accessible spaces that invite visitors to interact, be
curious and create.
The facade of the building is clad with robust wooden lamellas to minimize solar gain while allowing visual contact with the
inside of the building. During winter, the warm light from the building will appear inviting to visitors. In the summer, a long
bench, stretching the length of the facade, will invite passers-by to sit down or engage in activities around the cultural centre.
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