Studio: Javaplein Library
- Javaplein LibrarySocial kickstart of the 'Indische buurt' neighborhood in Amsterdam
- The library is located in a neighborhood with a very diverse range of inhabitants. The municipality wants to make them get along better and the library on a central square in the area should fulfill this wish. Apartments are located on the upper floors of the building.The 'Javaplein' (Java square) currently is more a traffic intersection than a public square. By extending the square under the building, the library becomes part of the square and the urban life. The threshold to enter the library is minimized as much as possible.The stereotype of the library is on a turning point. It used to be a place to find physical books, and to find a place to read them in a quiet environment. The future of the library is one without physical books. E-readers and other electronic devices are taking over and make the traditional library unnecessary . This transition is very visible in this library design. The bookshelves don't have the main role in the library hall, like in a traditional library, but are used in the load bearing walls. The books form the space of the library hall, and are a fundament under this modernized version of the library.The inside square is filled with more social and diverse functions, e.g. a music studio and a coffee bar. Quiet areas for reading and studying are located in deepened areas and on the first floor; the ground floor is a flat square, bringing the active urban life inside.
- Instead of just stacking functions on top of each other, the layers are merged. The public functions of the library penetrate the upper and lower floors, creating interesting spaces and routes. In the facades distinctions between public and private functions are very visible, the library is detailed like a void in the building's massive form.
- Project details:University: Delft University of TechnologyDesign Studio: Schakelsemester, JavapleinTutors: Gert Jan Knevel, Tom Bokkers, Jelle Fokkinga, Pauline BremmersDate: January 2010
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