Library Buildings around the World

Built in 1965, the Library needed a modern extension to meet today’s demands and JKMM’s design, called ‘Clover’, won the
competition for the project. The aim was to create dialogue between old and new. The new library respects the protected cultural
environment but, at the same time, takes pride in contemporary architecture. One of the objectives of the design was to find an
interface with the typical characteristics of Alvar Aalto’s architecture without imitating it.
VARIED INTERESTING SHAPES
The new library stands separate from Alto’s original, although connected by an underground link. Division of the building into three
sculptural units was an important decision to be able to blend the large building volume with the surrounding townscape. This
generates varied, interesting shapes when viewed from different directions. The exposed boarded-formwork concrete interiors are
punctuated by carefully placed windows and larger glazing offering controlled views of the Centre. The view from the glazed wall in
the main library hall is dominated by the highlights of the area: the bell tower or the Cross of the Plains Church and the fan-shaped
facade of the original Aalto Library. The heart of the building is the wide staircase, intended for different events and as an informal
meeting place, which leads to the collection departments on the ground floor and through the connecting underground corridor to
the Aalto Library.
LIVELY AND VIVID SURFACE
The external skin of the new library is dominated by copper. The darkening pre-oxidised copper sets the new library apart from the
whiteness of the surrounding buildings. Copper is not a new material to the area but in the Aalto Centre it is mainly the roofs that
feature the material’s beautifully patinated green surfaces. In the new library, copper has been used comprehensively across facades,
plinth and roofs – creating a single-material skin.
A special shape of copper shingle was specifically designed for the facades to give the building a highly individual, lively and vivid
surface. In some situations, the shingle surface is formed into ventilation slots to accommodate air handling. Copper is also used to
form vertical grilles and as a door facing to maintain the material continuity.
Written by: Chris Hodson
Seinäjoki Public Library – Provincial Library consists of the main library, 4 branch libraries, 2 mobile libraries and 5 lending
stations.
The main library operates in two buildings. The old building was built in the 1960´s (1961 -1965) and is designed by architect Alvar
Aalto (*1898 Kuortane, Finnland - + 1976 Helsinki). The building is part of the administrative and cultural centre of Seinäjoki, Aalto
Centre. The Aalto Library is about 1600 m2 in area.
The new building will be inaugurated in 2012. It is located near Aalto Centre and it will be about 3 500 square meters in area. The
new library is designed by JKMM Architects and the main architect is Asmo Jaaksi.
In the new building will be located: children’s department, youth department, music department and part of the adult lending
department as well as the news area for magazines, newspapers and computers. There will also be WLAN in the whole building, a
café, a lot of room for events and exhibitions, computer classroom and self-service issue and return. Beautiful staff rooms will also be
located in the new building.
The architecture of the new building is fabulous. It is modern, user-friendly, and experimental. The materials are of good quality
and space utilization is quite ingenious.
In the Aalto Library will be located the Seinäjoki collection, microfilm room, stacks, room for group works etc.
In August of 2012, the new library building has just been inaugurated and the Aalto library will be closed for renovation.
(https://sits.google.com)
Turku City Library, Turku - Finland 1998 – 2007
9.300 m², € 14 Mill.
Awards:
SIO Good Environmental Award 2008
The new city library in Turku is located at the historical centre of the city. The building is the latest addition to a block with the old
library and several other historically valuable buildings. The historical and cultural value of the site presented a great challenge for
the planning of the new building. The objective of the project was to create a new construct, which would harmonize with the
historically invaluable setting while also manifesting an architecture of its own age. In terms of urban planning the goal was to fill
out the open and unstructured street corner by following the edges of the existing urban grid. By constructing the building on the
outer perimeter, we were able to provide an open space in the middle of the lot, which was designed to serve as a courtyard for
recreation and a stage for cultural events. The interior of the new building is annexed with the existing 100-year old library building
and the chancellery of the governor built at the beginning of the nineteenth century, now restored and transformed to facilitate a
café and meeting rooms.
The new library has a functionally clear design. The public spaces are situated mainly on two floors surrounding the opening to the
courtyard. The staff premises are located systematically on one side of the building facing the street. The new main entrance opens
onto the corner of two main streets. The first floor has a reception and lounge area, a children’s and youth section, and a modernized
version of a periodicals reading room called the news market, which functions simultaneously as the link between the new library
and the old buildings. The main room of the new building is reached through a main stairway, which opens to a monumental space
containing the non-fiction stacks and reading areas. The guiding principle in the space planning was flexibility; the functions of the
library may change radically in the future with the introduction of new media. The rooms are open, and the functions are limited
only by the transformability of the easy-to-move furniture.
The materials of the building were chosen to accommodate the environment. The facades are mainly plastered, which is the
predominant material of the old buildings in the block. Initially we considered using red brick, but gave up the idea to allow the old
library building to remain the only brick building on the block thus emphasizing its primary position in the neighbourhood. We also
used natural stone extensively on the facades, the stairway and the grounds surrounding the building. In the interior we used mostly
European Oak in the wall furnishing and furniture. The structure of the building was made from concrete cast on site, which was
left exposed as an important part of the interior design. The fair-faced concrete was formed with vertical boards to achieve the rough
feeling characteristic of the material. Glass was given a seminal role both in the outer architecture and the interior world. From the
first steps of the planning process it was clear that the exuberant use of glass would be the best choice. Transparency befits this type
of building; a public library building should evoke the idea of openness.
The basis of the planning was to create a new library to meet up with the challenges of the future. At the same time, the library has a
long and rich history, which the architecture should also take into account. The architectonic whole is formed from the union of
these two oppositions, the past and the future. 14.01.09 (http://www.archdaily.com)
Lahdelma & Mahlamäki Oy, Helsinki – Finland
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