Snøhetta has unveiled plans for the new Temple University Library in Philadelphia, designed in partnership with Stantec. Construction is due to be completed in the autumn of 2018.
The past and the future come together in architectural studio Snøhetta's plans for the new Temple University Library in Philadelphia.
The past, because the architects draw their inspiration from the historic academies of Ancient Greece, where exchange of ideas and direct contact between people was more important than written content.
And the future, because an ultra-modern automated system for locating volumes reduces the storage space required for books, leaving more space available for learning and for informal meetings among students.
The library will be located at the crossroads of two important pedestrian pathways adjacent to the new campus. A big arch in the stone-clad volume of the library will identify the entrance, with its floor-to-ceiling windows. The series of big arches will continue on the other side of the glass, in the big entrance hall, where users will find themselves immersed in a space recalling the atmosphere of the academies of Ancient Greece. Through the large oval-shaped upper opening, users will have an overall view of the building and its layout and be encouraged to use all the spaces at their disposal.
(Agnese Bifulco)
Design Architect: Snøhetta
Executive Architect: Stantec
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Images courtesy of Snøhetta
http://snohetta.com/
