concept & vision

our vision for the public library is of a strong landmark to inspire investment in the community it serves. And, within the building, to foster a dynamic relationship between diverse spaces and between visitors, while providing the acoustic protection and functional organization that enable the library to function with efficiency and serenity. The building sculptural presence anchors a complex urban site, with its scale mediating the adjacent low-rise residences and the high-rise towers to the North, and its round volume standing out as an icon of public life

design & architecture

the library is organized around a multiple-level central open area, directly connected to the program housed in more intimate spaces on the north and south area around the atrium. About 170 shipping containers have been stacked and cropped on the outside to form a circular volume, and carved on the inside to create interconnected interior spaces. A variety of public and semi-private areas for browsing, consulting, readying, studying, lounging, and more, is generated by the juxtaposition of large open spaces and intimate alcove-like areas. The terraced layout encircling the atrium enables visual connections and understanding between different areas and activities

impact & significance

we take advantage of the structural and material economy of the shipping container and celebrate the contrast between the colorful and tough exterior, and the refined interior with finishes and furnishings appropriate to a modern library environment. We celebrate the structure's unusual technological beauty by creating a dynamic pattern of narrow windows that rhymes with the corrugations of the steel surface, gauging the light the enters different spaces, with more open slots at the atrium areas, and higher protection at the stacks