Design Team Jvst, Inside Outside, Hanratharchitect, Kreativa Wins Competition For Renovation Central Library Of Reykjavík With Playful Route.
“How Can The Library Again Become An Attractive And Relevant Space For The City, A Place For Connection, Inspiration, Creation And Participation?”
This Question Was Posed By The Public Library Of Reykjavík, To The Five Design Teams Participating In The Final Round Of A Competition For The Renovation And Update Of The Existing Grófarhús. The Library Is Housed In A Former Warehouse On The Waterfront: A Striking Location In The City.
The Reykjavik Library Understands Itself As A Beacon Of Knowledge, Accessible For Everyone. Their Wish For The Future Is To Reinforce This Role And In Addition To This To Modernize Its Building And To Make It More Sustainable. Essentially, The Library Intends To Increase Access To Everything It Has To Offer, In An Inviting, Simple And Tempting Manner.By Doing This, The Library Joins An International Trend In The Development Of Libraries, Where Their Social Role And Spatial Functionalities Transform From Hermetic Knowledge Institutions To Lively, Homely And Inspiring City Spaces.
The Winning Proposal Vitavegur (“Road Of Knowledge”) Weaves A Soft Pink Route Through The Warehouse’s Existing Column Structure. Organized Along The Route, That Starts As A Continuation Of The Public Street, Are Various Activities Aimed At Different Audiences And Ages. The Goal Is To Inspire Through Experience. The Route Divides The Floorspace In Lively Places To Create And Learn, And Calm Reading Sections With Hide-Outs. The Way Up Ends With A Reward: A New Glass Structure Housing A Cafe And Auditorium Becomes A Beacon In The Harbor.
A Challenging Feature In The Existing Building Are The Low Floor Heights. Smart Floor Plans Offer A Clear Routing That Has No Dead-Ends But Always Invites To Discover More. Air Is Brought Into The Building By Creating A Building High Atrium, Emphasized By A Meters High Wall Tapestry. A Fresh Material Palette Consisting Of Light Bamboo, Soft Colors And Tactile Fabrics Brings A Welcoming Atmosphere To The Library.
The Facades Will Be Renewed With Respect To The History Of The Building, Following Breeam Standards. Current Facade Claddings Including Insulation Will Be Re-Used In The Interior. Playful Green Bay Windows Both On The Ground Floor – Where They Will Be Mirrored On The Outside – And On The Other Floors, Soften The Transition Between In- And Outside And Create An Inviting Gesture That Entice To Discovery.
The Qualities Of The Separate Design Practices – Jvst, Inside Outside, Hanratharchitect And Kreativa – Merged Beautifully With The Question Of The Library, Resulting In A Complementary And Integral Proposal That Is Expected To Be Continued Working On Early 2023!
Team:
Architects: Jvst, Inside Outside, Hanrath Architect, Kreativa Design
