'book mountain' project by MVRDV
image courtesy MVRDV

construction has just begun on dutch firm MVRDV's 'book mountain' project
the new public library with a surface of 10,000 m² will be located in the inner
city of spijkenisse, netherlands. in addition to the book collection and reading areas,
the library will accommodate commercial facilities, offices, an auditorium,
conference rooms, and exhibition spaces.

the exterior of the building refers to a traditional dutch barn style typology, in shape
and choice of material; as a memento to the agricultural history of spijkenisse village,
now a suburban area of rotterdam with statistically a low average of readers.
 
the library is designed to advertise reading. by stacking facilities such as offices,
meeting rooms and auditorium vertically, terraces of different sizes emerge upon
which the book shelves are positioned creating a grand book mountain. the terraces
are linked by staircases to form a route that curves around the mountain to the top,
where a panoramic view of spijkenisse awaits.
 
the book mountain is covered by a glass shell, creating a bell jar, an open-air library.
the bell jar is a climate-controlled public space. solar protection (as used in greenhouses),
natural ventilation and an underground heat storage system provide for comfortable
conditions all year round.
 
the new public library is part of a greater scheme for the inner city of spijkenisse.
in order to strengthen and densify the inner city, MVRDV's has proposed a series
of apartment buildings which reflect the local typology though on a larger scale.
the entire new complex including the public spaces will be clad in brick.
completion of the library and the apartments are expected september 2011.


'book mountain' project by MVRDV
image courtesy MVRDV


'book mountain' project by MVRDV
image courtesy MVRDV


'book mountain' project by MVRDV
image courtesy MVRDV


'book mountain' project by MVRDV
image courtesy MVRDV