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Halsinki Central Library —

Halsinki Central Library —

One of the most interesting conditions of public space is its potential to generate unexpected encounters.
The goal of the Central Library project is to offer Helsinki citizens the potential of a wide range of encounters: while searching for a specific book, readers will also discover other books that they didn’t know of before. In all reading, working or learning areas users meet other people. As they move inside the building, library users will discover new views of the surrounding cityscape: the park, bay and the city architecture will be seen from new angles and heights.
The library will encourage its users’ encounters with culture, society and the city, generating at all times expectation and surprise.
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The collections are divided in a main room that faces the park and three levels of more intimate and quiet spaces on the east side. These spaces are extremely flexible, to permit multiple possible internal layouts. The learning and doing area is accessed from bridges that cross the atrium at all levels. The children’s world on the third floor can be accessed directly by the elevators, or can be entered through the stepping bookshelves children’s sector that faces the park. The top floor is dedicated to the staff offices and to the public sauna, from where the green rooftop can be accessed. There is one basement level that houses the main event spaces on the West side. They share a foyer that is intended to connect to the future underground multipurpose space under Makasiinipuisto park. On the west side of the basement, the loading area and the technical and logistics area are located. A ramp descends from the North-East end of the site. The ramp is open on the street side, allowing views through it from the street to the exhibition hall.

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The collections are divided in a main room that faces the park and three levels of more intimate and quiet spaces on the east side. These spaces are extremely flexible, to permit multiple possible internal layouts. The learning and doing area is accessed from bridges that cross the atrium at all levels. The children’s world on the third floor can be accessed directly by the elevators, or can be entered through the stepping bookshelves children’s sector that faces the park. The top floor is dedicated to the staff offices and to the public sauna, from where the green rooftop can be accessed. There is one basement level that houses the main event spaces on the West side. They share a foyer that is intended to connect to the future underground multipurpose space under Makasiinipuisto park. On the west side of the basement, the loading area and the technical and logistics area are located. A ramp descends from the North-East end of the site. The ramp is open on the street side, allowing views through it from the street to the exhibition hall.
The architectural concept is an atrium that changes its form and defines different relations with the buildings and the park that surround the site.
Previous project — Corner house
Next project — Corte