Library Buildings around the World

Literature:
Shinkenchiku 0911, GA JAPAN 101
This library becomes a new "plaza" in Obuse. It becomes a place in which a lot of one people can gather under the roof. Moreover, it
becomes light that shines on surroundings like an andon at night.
Machitosho terrasow is a place that becomes the starting point of the plan that becomes "Library where the entire Obuse-cho lived"
that ranges to the center from Obuse Station to the town.
Nikken Sekkei Ltd.planners, architects, engineers, Tokyo – Japan
http://www.nikken.co.jp
Libraries:
Fukuyama City Study Hall (City Central Library), Fukuyama – Japan 2006 – 2006
13.789 m²
This is a comprehensive facility with a library of 650,000 books as the core function. It also integrates historical data room,
conference room, childcare support center, and broadcasting university satellite space etc. While bringing in the sceneries of the
neighboring central park into the reading room, the two are closely linked together by merging the boundary of the library and
park. Facing the neighboring central park, there are leveled overhanging eaves. The width is set according to simulation of exposure
to sun. During open hours, there is almost no need to use the window blinds throughout the seasons. The reading room is a two-story
40m square structure. In order to feel the change of time in a day in a planar layout with large depth, there are multi-story high
ceiling window and a small waterfall on the west side. This allows the people to feel the external environment centered on natural
light regardless of where they are in the reading room, experiencing the feeling of walking in the park and being close to books.
(Nikken)
Kokugakuin University, Academic Media Center, Tokyo – Japan 2006 – 2008
17.382 m²
This is the fourth of the five phases of the redevelopment plan of the Kokugakuin University Shibuya campus, which is to last 8
years. The facility has the spot for research activities in the university, which include the data room for displaying research results
on archeology, theology, and university history, multimedia classrooms, research labs, and the largest library in Tokyo, storing one
million books. At the center of the building, the six-story court properly connects the functions together. Abundant lighting makes it
a bright and open space. Accompanying the natural lighting windows which span across the entire redevelopment and the
technology of which is getting more refined as time passes, ventilating by gravity creates flow of wind. It reaches level S on the
Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficiency (CASBEE). It is dedicated to reducing environmental burdens
by focusing on conserve energy, save resources, and recyclability, while raising environment quality and performance. In addition,
on the detail treatment for the building, it attempts have people feeling the original texture of materials such as concrete, steel, glass,
wood, and stone etc. Being in harmony with the equipments, it applies simple equipments with utmost necessity. The sloped roof at
the top of the multi-story court and the Sapling Tower, which is in the neighboring land on the south side, act as the symbol of the
university, accompanying each other on the axis. (Nikken)
Kokugakuin University is an institution of learning and education, founded with the dual mission of exploring and passing on
Japan's traditional culture and the unique Japanese mind running at its base, while simultaneously adopting and creativily
developing the learning of other countries. ( http://read.jst.go.jp )
Tsushima Municipal Communication Center, Tsushima City - Japan 2005 – 2006
19.977 m²
This is constructed in the town of Tsushima Izuhara (Previously Shimoagata-gun), which is merged from 5 towns. It is a complex
composed of commercial facilities, event hall, library, and conference rooms, etc. This is a new symbol building, of Tsushima, which
welcomed the Korean communique envoy as the gateway of Asia in history, In order to not bring repressiveness to the surrounding
low buildings the building is of low height (up to four stories)but stretches long to fully use 140-m long site, In the building, clear-cut
functianal zoning is procided on the Hoor-by-floor basis. There is a large tiled roof, which acts as the welcome gate,looking on the
Izuhare port. The building is created as a pedestrian network spot in the town. (Nikken)
Inazawa City Library – Japan 2005 – 2006
4.967 m²
This is a library, which is the spot for community activities and exchanges, next to the citizen assembly hall. The main body is a
general open-shelf reading lobby capable of storing 130,000 volumes of book. It is a column-less space of 50 meters in width and 18
meters in depth. In addition, there are children’s reading room, regional data room, and research room etc. It is connected to the
existing citizen assembly hall via a pedestrian bridge, striving to achieve activeness for the area.The exterior vertical surface is of
shot blast board tile combined with tilted colored pre-cast concrete plate to form a bright and quiet atmosphere. In the general
reading lobby on the second floor, the aluminum reflector top light directs natural sunlight through its broad light duct into the
lobby to create a bright and comfortable reading space. In addition, under-floor air conditioning and radiating cooling/heating air
conditioning system in conbination are used gor energy saving purpose. (Nikken)
Otsuma Girls Jr. High School, Tokyo – Japan 2002 – 2005
16.746 m²
It is a private women school with consistent education of middle and high school. For the entire reconstruction project would be
undertaken in the center city with limited space, while partial existing school facility in use, the project was divided into two parts-construction
proceeded in the order of schoolhouse to gymnasium. Both schoolhouse and gymnasium have multi-layers. It not only
has the need for multiple function but also the need of “comfortable space” for school life in the atrium and the roof-top square.
The schoolhouse has its special classroom, library and administrative offices from B1 to F3 and the normal classrooms from F4 to F9
in atrium area, a inner open space in the school. The gymnasium is a two floor arena on which top it has multiple-purpose roof-top
square. The outer is surfaced by hard aluminum columns and it controls the reflection of sunshine so that its aluminum checks
reflect the subtle expressions. The inner interior consists of wooden material. And by top light and the combination with its indirect
reflection, it forms a space with women-school-like flavor-- the touching warmth embraced by the soft lights. (Nikken)
Shibaura Institute of Technology, Toyosu Campus, Tokyo – Japan 2003 - 2005
61.934 m²
The location of this project at the Toyosu 2・3-chome area, which was the site of the shipyard dock and factories of the IHI, is
undergoing urban redevelopment. In the recent years, following the push of urban construction such as high-tech companies, large-
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