Library Buildings around the World

Korea
Gansam Architects & Associates, Seoul – Korea
http://www.gansam.com
Libraries :
Myongji University Bangmok Library, Seoul – Korea 2007 - 2010
Project Architect: Taijip Kim, Design team: Kiyoung Han, Mijung Kim, Myunghee Jang, Sun A Park, Kyungsu Jeong
New library provides a cultural icon for South Korea's capital
It is the recent remarkable trend that the library has been emerging from the space for simply reading and studying, so as to become
the new space for users to communicate with the various information and tools. Reflecting the whole current trend, Gansam
Partners planned Bangmok Library, a high technology research information center where users can communicate with various
media and tools, taking in a wide view of the overall academic cultural contents of the university. In order to reflect the library as the
place where knowledge from every field communicates and students interact while avoiding any sense of barriers and distance with
the existing university buildings and neighbourhood residential area, the free curve of the mass shape was originated by adding a
square mass which holds the bookshelves functionally, completeing the present form. The architects used U-Glass for the outer
surface of the free curve to better show the curve's image. IPE, a wood material, was used for the square mass to show the image of
book, paper and bookshelves. U-Glass creates a warm and soft atmosphere by holding the filtered soft light instead of reflecting the
shining direct light. The wood will age like the books and show their traces. As you enter the main entrance on the 1st floor, you can
see Interactive Garden that is the indoor garden and also the hub of Bangmok Library. Once arriving here, students can reach every
spot by stairs and open elevator: international conference room and free reading room on the1st floor, group studying room, study
garden and exhibition hall on the 2nd floor, bookshelves organised by field, multimedia database corner, ucc studio, plus an
educating room and small theater on floors 3 and 4 respectively. The non-specific shape of various spaces are all made for studying.
Students may seat around the round table or seat alongside the curve handrail and windows, or choose the opened reading corner on
stairs. On each floor, the irregular void form along with the resting spot (Green Spot) on 3rd & 4th floor creates communicating and
exchanging figure. (http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com)
The massing started off with gently curved form which seeks to welcome the student body of Myongji University and harmonizes in
its surrounding of residential area and other university facilities. The square mass was subsequently inserted to serve as the
functional zones to contain the books. The curvilinear outer skin comes to life with U-GLASS, and the square mass is expressed with
wood (IPE) that relates to the nature off books, paper, and bookshelves. U-Glass doesn’t directly reflect light, but filters light to
create a warm and comfortable ambience; wood ages, similar to books, and archives the flow of time in its materiality. The
interactive garden is the big lobby that connects 1F-4F, and is designed to become a liberating space, unlike the traditional libraries
of silence and restriction, and is filled with liveliness from skylights filtering natural light and interior gardens.
1st floor is divided into two major zones, reading zone, and seminar zone. A psychological barrier between the two zones is
established via 60cm of floor height difference, and the lobby serves the role of merging, and separating the two zones. One can easily
see the diverse areas of the library while ascending via the emphatic interior staircase and the glass elevator, which add much
dynamism to the library designed to serve as the vessel of activities of the students,
2nd floor holds both students’ study zone and administration facilities; there are 14 study rooms and the Bangmok memorial
exhibition on the second floor.
3rd floor is connected to the Student Center via a deck that serves as an additional main entrance, is contains diverse collection of
books, dissertations, and periodicals. There are also education rooms, a small auditorium, multi-media facilities, and a UCC studio.
4th floor is also arranged similarly, with more space allocated to serve as open study spaces, available in forms of round tables,
window-side seats, lobby-facing desks, and seating staircases.
The void spaces of each floor are meant to be staggered, so that from edge of each floor, one can see the floors below. Spatial
diversity created via changes in floor and ceiling heights make up this unconventional, yet user-friendly library filled with
comfortable and memorable spaces. (http://www.archdaily.com)
S.A.M.O.O. Architects, Seoul – Korea
http://www.samoo.com/Eng/
Libraries:
National Library of Multifunctional Adminstrative City, Yeongi-gun Korea 2009
Area22,790㎡, Floors4 Stories and 2 Basements,Year2009 AwardsWinner, Design Competition, 2009, Collaboration Keun Jeong
Architects & Engineers Inc.
E-BRARY concept for future library design: E-BRARY is short for Emotional Library. The idea behind this concept was that if the
1st & 2nd generation libraries were in analog and digital format, the libraries of the future will be in digital format but with analog
characteristics, thus becoming an emotional library. Strategically, this concept is further developed through the creation of
emotional form, space and experiences throughout the building. The creation of the 4 storey, 2 basement E-BRARY will provide
citizens and government personnel of Multifunctional Administrative City(Sejong) with rich contents and cultural experiences that
will promote community space within the region. It will not only function as a central cultural facility but as a new urban landmark
that can symbolize the Multifunctional Administrative City(Sejong). Through the unique image of the building, and through the
unique location of the library, it will become a dynamic symbol and a new identity to the city of Sejong. The purpose of the
construction of the E-BRARY is to create a central urban landmark of Multifunctional Administrative City.
(http://www.worldarchitecturenews.org)
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