Books are an important element of human history. A book is an heritage that we received from the past and we have the responsibility to bring to the future. Planning a building that has to keep and preserve a part of our culture is an exciting challenge and an hard task at the same time.
General project's view.
© arch. Ivan Cecchetti . Published on March 28, 2013.
A library is not only a building but also a place in which people have the chance to grow up, meet and talk with each other, expand their knowledges, learn to live.
The principles behind the project.
© arch. Ivan Cecchetti . Published on March 28, 2013.
So, a library should have the capacity to represent all these values through its facades, its indoor spaces, its materials.
Ground floor.
© arch. Ivan Cecchetti . Published on March 28, 2013.
We kept these elements in mind when we started to think of an architecture and we immediately decided that our building should have a strong symbolic power: a power to focus gazes, make people curious, tempt them to enter. With our project we have the wish to create a world within a building, in which people could get lost in their thoughts, words and pages of novels, spend time set down on a comfortable sofa just reading or speaking with someone.
Main entrance.
© arch. Ivan Cecchetti . Published on March 28, 2013.
These are the reasons why the idea began with an image of some “white pages” moved by the wind. So, we wanted to give birth to the building from these plastic and symbolic elements; then white surfaces became the main theme of the project, to suggest that some pieces of paper can turn themselves into big and curved walls. Nearby that, we put some glass facades, to connect white walls, create indoor environments and establish a dialogue with surrounding buildings.
First floor.
© arch. Ivan Cecchetti . Published on March 28, 2013.
In the north side of the building, in front of the Makasiini Park, a big and suspended sphere characterizes and gives a sense to the entire library.
Longitudinal section.
© arch. Ivan Cecchetti . Published on March 28, 2013.
So, transparent walls alternate themselves to opaque ones to create a game of reflections and lights, in which masses are highlighted by shadows, to underline the plasticity of the architecture.
© arch. Ivan Cecchetti . Published on March 28, 2013.
In the middle of the building another glass element crosses the two big white walls and makes the sunlight let in and give light to the reading areas. During the planning time we tried to pay attention of the orientation of the library, because we think that a good position of the building, together with a right use of materials, make a building more efficient in terms of indoor climate and energy saving.
Second floor and east elevation.
© arch. Ivan Cecchetti . Published on March 28, 2013.
So, we decided to place the most part of glasses on the south side and on the east-west axis, to optimize the management of lights and heat. In the north side, instead, we put opaque surfaces (made with thick and well insulated walls), to reduce the dispersions as much as possible. Also inside the building we tried to put some elements that have the task to improve the indoor climate, such as full-height openings through the floors to create chimney effect or the double-skin facades to allow the greenhouse effect (during wintertime) or to ventilate (during summer). On the windows there are also brie solail to improve lighting and make a pattern on elevations.
Third floor and west elevation.
© arch. Ivan Cecchetti . Published on March 28, 2013.
The main entrances to the building are placed on the Makasiini Park side and on the other side, along Töölönlahdenkatu street. The main hall is figured as a public indoor and always open (24 hours on 24) square, that acts as a filter between the library an the other uses, such as the restaurant and the cafè.
© arch. Ivan Cecchetti . Published on March 28, 2013.
In this way some functions can work separately to the public library even though are connected in the same building: so people can go, for example, to the restaurant even when the library is closed. In the ground floor there is also the entrance to the cinema (placed in the basement), that is independent of the rest and hosts the foyer, the VIP area and a reception with a cloakroom. Also a connection with the café is available.
Fourth floor and cross section BB'.
© arch. Ivan Cecchetti . Published on March 28, 2013.
From the indoor square two escalators and an elevator lead to the public part on the first floor, in which there are a bookstore, the multipurpose hall and the public sauna. Also at this level an entrance to the library is available.
Basement floor and cross section CC'.
© arch. Ivan Cecchetti . Published on March 28, 2013.
On the south part of the ground floor there is the library’s hall with info points, receptions, self-service return room (also accessible from an independent door), lounge areas and all the other lobby functions. Near a glass wall in the park side, a winter garden with trees and water creates an exciting corner for reading, relaxing and speaking. Bringing nature inside the building is a way to establish a connection with the outdoor environment and to create a pleasant atmosphere.
© arch. Ivan Cecchetti . Published on March 28, 2013.
On the other floors, instead, there are the library’s areas, with collections, interactive points, workrooms etc. On the fourth floor there is also a reserved section for the staff, with officies, meeting rooms, lounges etc. A particular characteristic of this floor is the presence of three roof gardens that allow to establish a link with the outside and to create an exciting atmosphere inside.
© arch. Ivan Cecchetti . Published on March 28, 2013.
The big sphere on the north side of the building develops from the second to the fourth floor and holds a quite area on the second floor, a music and video recording and the “Fab Lab” on the third floor and a big living lab on the fourth floor(cross section CC’).
Materials and elements of energy efficiency.
© arch. Ivan Cecchetti . Published on March 28, 2013.
In the basement, except for the cinema, there are all the service spaces (technical rooms, stores etc.). An access ramp from the Töölönlahdenkatu street leads to the service and loading area. Outside, on the ground floor, there are two special pedestrian accesses that have curved surfaces and particular water games that have the task to make people curious to enter.
So, this building tries to interpret the idea of a library in an original an modern way. We tried to create a building that can offer interesting spaces both outside and inside.