Halle

The proposal aims for an optimization of the existing library building. The layout is optimized according to current and future needs. In addition, the primary structure of the building is almost completely preserved. Only a limited expansion is necessary to roll out the proposed book collection for adults and youth, as well as to provide an additional evacuation staircase. On the one hand, the extension fits within the structural logic of the existing main volume; on the other hand it guarantees optimal visibility in relation to Arkenvest and Basiliekstraat, thus anchoring the building firmly within its context. Thanks to the limited scale of the extension, the visual value of the existing building is handled conscientiously. The extension remains visually subordinate to the existing main volume.

That same approach towards the materialization of the extension results in a modest palette of white brick and precast concrete to complement the existing sandstone and bluestone. A few modest windows frame well-considered views of the bookroom and the park behind it. The proposal thus focuses on making the existing building more sustainable, rather than making it a shaky spectacle. The inherent qualities of the existing building are accentuated. Problem points are subtly solved thanks to a few small-scale interventions: an auditorium staircase that connects the basement and the ground floor; a void that interweaves the book rooms with the attic, providing sufficient daylight entering the different floors. Such interventions guarantee sufficient flexibility in use: collections can grow, shrink or shift without compromising the usability of the building. In addition, the ground floor can be read as a fordable, accessible living room that connects citizens, caresses readers and stimulates visitors with more than just books.