In Spijkenisse, a Dutch town near Rotterdam, the MVRDV architecture practice was contracted to design a project comprising 42 residential units, parking and public spaces together with a recently opened library.
A physical invitation to read and a reference to the past of Spijkenisse as a farming town – these elements are combined in the library designed by MVRDV.From the nearby market square, the glass-enclosed, pyramid roof structure gives you a glimpse of the mountain of books inside, with corridors and platforms providing a 480-metre pathway along the shelves that reach almost to the roof and culminate at the peak where a café offers scenic views over the town.
The building itself is a reminder of the traditional Dutch farms, and the bookshelves themselves provide another connection with the farming history of Spijkenisse. They are made from recycled fireproof and inexpensive flowerpots that house the books and at the same time, form the banisters, railing, information desk and counter.
The building also accommodates other commercial functions and the architects used different materials for the exteriors to communicate and distinguish between the various uses. Brick is used for the shops, while the glass-enclosed upper part is the public library.
(Agnese Bifulco)
Project: MVRDV
Location: Spijkenisse , The Netherlands
Gallery: courtesy MVRDV ph.Jeroen Musch
www.mvrdv.nl
