The Library
Architecture: BArch
Abigail White
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Atelier 02: Urban Monastery
Project
‘The Library’ redirects the purpose of a modern library back to the act of reading and escapism, that visitors rediscover the value of being present with themselves and a story. It does this by taking the user on a journey. This is guided by the concept of the book itself, influencing the form of the building as well as the experience inside.
The view of the building from the outside emulates a book left open with splaying pages. Once you are passed the regularity of the fins the plot begins to unfold. The building twists around itself, intertwining, just like story lines. The journey takes inspiration from a labyrinth, it serves as a metaphor for the plot of a book. Both following the same structure conceptually.
The winding paths of the building lead you along the story. The more you explore, the more of the story you understand. The visitor may return and ‘reread’ the building and find that they discover new details and intricacies. But, the plot remains the same every time, just as the structure of the building and path of the labyrinth are unchanging but our own understanding evolves.
Labyrinths are designed to bring you to a contemplative state, enjoying the journey, knowing that the destination is guaranteed at the end and does not need to be rushed. There are no dead ends, but there are also no short cuts. Just as when reading a book, you must experience it all to see the full story.
