The architecture firm Snøhetta released renderings of a new research library at Temple University, according to Dezeen.
On one hand, with open spaces, study areas, and a green roof, the new facility will help people rethink what a research library even is.
"Snøhetta's design challenges the traditional typology of the research library solely as a repository for books and archives, and instead provides a diversity of spaces that will spark chance encounters, enable collaboration, and encourage knowledge-sharing amongst its users," the firm said in a statement.
But then again, the library will contain a lot of books. Two million volumes can be accessed by an automated retrieval system that will fetch books stored two stories above ground and two stories below. So yes, it will still be a repository for books and archives.
The building will include a domed atrium, arched wooden entrances, vertical sections of rough stone, and large panels of pleated frameless glass.
The 225,000-sf library is expected to open in 2018. Snohetta is working in collaboration with architecture and engineering firm Stantec.
Related Stories
Cultural Facilities | May 4, 2017
Obama Foundation reveals first look at the Obama Presidential Center
The design comprises three buildings set in the public space of Jackson Park on Chicago’s South Side.
Libraries | Apr 7, 2017
Eight recipients selected for the 2017 AIA/ALA Library Building Awards
Columbus Metropolitan Library, National Library of Latvia, and Varina Area Library were all honored by the AIA and ALA.
Libraries | Mar 16, 2017
Libraries: Design for evolution
Libraries fulfill a new vision—community kitchens for experimentation with new ideas, problem solving and entrepreneurship, and creating experiences that turn consumers into producers, passions into careers, and voices into actions.
Libraries | Feb 22, 2017
Transparency a key in Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library renovation
Great Halls, an auditorium, a fabrication lab, and a roof garden will all be added to the Ludwig Mies van der Rohe building.
Libraries | Jan 9, 2017
After winning international competition, Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects will design the new Shanghai Library
The 110,000-sm library will be built in Pudong District and sit next to Century Park, Shanghai’s largest park.
Libraries | Dec 14, 2016
The future of libraries
The arrival of programs that support student and faculty success such as math emporiums, writing centers, academic enrichment programs, and excellence-in-teaching centers within the library, heralds the emergence of the third generation of academic library design.
Libraries | Jul 1, 2016
Sasaki library survey gauges librarian happiness
Libraries are changing from dull book boxes into vibrant hubs for academic institutions. Sasaki surveyed more than 400 librarians to learn how library staffs interact with and respond to their workspaces.
Cultural Facilities | Jun 30, 2016
Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects selected to design Obama Presidential Center in Chicago
With experience designing cultural and academic facilities, Williams and Tsien got the nod over other search finalists like Renzo Piano, SHoP, and Adjaye Associates.
Building Team Awards | May 19, 2016
Chinatown library unites and serves two emerging Chicago neighborhoods
The 16,000-sf, pebble-shaped Chinatown Branch Library was built at the intersection of new and old Chinatown neighborhoods. The goal is for the building to unite the communities and serve as a catalyst for the developing area.
Libraries | Apr 21, 2016
New renderings released for Herzog & de Meuron’s National Library of Israel
The library is based around the light well in the center of a concave roof, a feature that will illuminate the spacious second story and the ground level.