The proposal for the new Helsinki Central Library rethinks the very nature of library to create a contemporary agora. It acts as focal point to generate locally specific knowledge while at the same time being connected to the global knowledge pool.

HARPPU

TYPE Public space, Library
STATUS Competition
LOCATION Helsinki, Finland
YEAR 2012
CLIENT City of Helsinki

DESIGN TEAM Gaspar Altamiro, Eva Castro, Li Gan, Ulla Hell, Holger Kehne, Libny Pacheco, Yun Shi, Sheeham Wachter, Chuan Wang

In that regard, the building offers elasticity and versatility, achieved through the employment of two sets of ramps–a simple resource that produces a double-helix organization a hyper-linked space, breaking the hierarchies of common public spaces and providing a non-linear experience where incidental and accidental encounters occur between the users of the library, increasing the chances for new affinities and ultimately the production of new nodes and synapses, a DNA of shared knowledge.

This is further enhanced by a series of seating steps and walking stairs between the half levels that can offer casual configurations for individuals and groups to find their own space and gather or to connect to another area of the library.

The new library becomes the living room for the city, creating a sensorial experience from façade into plan, where light quality guides the user both inside and out.