The Asplund building is one of Stockholm’s important architectural landmarks and connecting to it requires attention at all scales. The new building leans forward, for example, to touch the old library making a significant yet respectful connection. In our proposal for this open international competition, we sought to use the inherent structural logic of the library – the bookshelf – as a building structure. The preliminary structure supports a dense grid of suspended steel cables, extending throughout the building, and shifts to accommodate a subway tunnel. The library serves three types of occupants – media & books, the public and the library staff – each with unique functional needs. The heart of the library is the mass of book storage, and the public reading halls are large-span spaces within the mass of book stacks, creating dramatic two to three floor high cathedrals for reading. Offices cantilever off the west façade.

Collaboration with Z-A Studio