• Berlin Central State Library

    Berlin Central State Library

  • Berlin Central State Library

    Programme interconnection & distribution

  • Berlin Central State Library

    Section east-west

  • Berlin Central State Library

    Section north-south

  • Berlin Central State Library

    Different Levels

  • Berlin Central State Library

    Ground level: Entrance, café, bistro, metropolitan lounge, lockers, child care, shops

  • Berlin Central State Library

    Standard floor: Structural forces & Flexibility and programme diversity

  • Berlin Central State Library

    Shading concept: South facade & west facade

  • Berlin Central State Library

    Model: Aerial view

  • Berlin Central State Library

    Different views on library

  • Berlin Central State Library

    Interior view of ‘Park Window’

  • Berlin Central State Library

    Aerial view over library and adjoining park landscape on former Tempelhof airfield

Berlin Central State Library

(Uberbau, 2013) Our proposal for the Berlin Central State Library interprets the Library of the 21st Century as a generous, open monospace that is dedicated to knowledge reception for all parts of society through all digital and physical mediums. To generate this sense of community and interaction the building connects various fields of knowledge with each other and its urban context. Meanwhile the plan offers high adaptability, which enables the library to be subdivided into diverse units to allow various forms of usage, communication, intimacy and learning.

The size, clarity and recognisability of the cube stand in a complementary relationship with the vast openness of the park landscape on the former Tempelhof Airfield. At a closer distance the softly oscillating facade heightens the compact cube, inviting into the library and opening up impressive views over the park.

The building is 60 meters and 12 storeys high with a footprint of 74.4 x 74.4 meters. These dimensions create a compactness that is very favourable for the usability and storage of a library, creating short distances while allowing to have one floor per program unit. The large ‘reading ramps’, atriums and ‘reading windows’ connect several thematic areas and thus emphasise inter- and cross-disciplinary models of thought.

see also Berlin Central State Library Neighbourhood

Downloads:
Project summary: Berlin Central State Library [5MB]

Team: Ali Saad, Thomas Stellmach, F Scholz, J Reboreda, D Kopp for UBERBAU Collaborators: MARS Architekten as team leader, with UBERBAU (programme & urban concept) and TH Treibhaus/Lavaland (landscape) Consultants: Höhler & Partner (cost control), Schlaich Bergermann & Partner (Structure), Janowski Ingenieure (HVAC), Brandkontrolle Andreas Flock (fire security), Studio Dinnebier (lighting), Adrian König (visualisation) Date: 2013 Type: Invited competition, Honorable Mention Client: State of Berlin, DE Location: Berlin, DE Subject: Urban Design Surface: 78 150 m2 GFA Status: Competition