London Public Library


NAT architects were asked "the thick walls' shape in the OBA. Here is the transparency of the whole a major requirement. The appearance of the thick wall should be as transparent as possible, so that vision remains from the library in the reading rooms.

The task is spread over two floors. The deepening of nature and technology and the deepening of social sciences.

1.The deepening science and technology is a large amount of concentrated study areas, adjacent to the study. These three types of study on this floor: the individual study in the four study groups on study areas and study in an study cell locked up with two people.
It is possible to concentrate the whole of the proposed strip.
The task is a NAT Architects at first looked at its capabilities.
The question seems a paradox, how can a closed program as transparent as possible? Should such private program designed to be as open as possible? I
t seems logical to NAT Architects program decided to remain closed between here and transparency.
Would not it be wonderful if the study cells as small units decided by the study landscape were strewn around, so that exciting views through the gap and a unity within a glassy shell?

2. On the floor of social sciences calls for a concentrated service strip shape, adjacent to the private meeting rooms.
The meeting rooms just need to minimize distractions. There seems no problem to the service lane a more closed appearance.
This constitutes the starting point of the design.
One lane closed paths traversed by the shortest route to the meeting rooms and provide access to the program in the strip.
The paths will not necessarily orthogonal, but as the urban plan concentric and diagonally to create exciting lines of sight, the meeting rooms somewhat obscure.
The inside of the cuts will be as transparent as a skin, in contrast to the closed exterior. Here are the entrances and controlled lighting.
This will be cast a curious glance at the contents of this service strip. In this design the glass.
That is as material as open as possible and color as possible and sometimes absent reflective!....more 
Client: City of Amsterdam /Jo Coenen
Gross Area.: 435 m2
Contractor: Hillen & Roosen-De Nijs
stage: Completed
Photos: Peter Cuypers
 
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