Osnabrück University Library

The compact structure of the new library is a sculpturally formed monolith that continues the spatial orthogonality of the existing structures and thus follows a master plan for the spatial campus expansion on the former barracks grounds. It forms urbanistically effective building edges to the city square and the campus forum, thereby defining the public space as an address and taking over the function of the northern entrance to the campus with a clear setting. The entrances to the library foyer are located on the two sides of the building, which are important from an urban planning point of view. Like a flowing spatial landscape, it opens up to the adjoining outdoor spaces, enables reciprocal references and thus links the university campus with the urban neighborhood. The new building is conceived as a shell: it encloses two garden courtyards to which all library areas open up. The gardens are the central spaces in a transparent new building. The organization of the library is determined by this idea. The formulation of both jointly used and identity-giving areas for two organizationally independent libraries in one building follows the concept of spatial zoning in flexibly linked building blocks. Two central staircases and the floor foyers between the garden courtyards connect all areas formally and functionally to form a library unit and enable easy orientation. Staircases are interior spaces with a recreational quality. The open and closed user areas with differentiated IT equipment enable concentrated and communicative work on all levels in a variety of atmospheric qualities. Work and reading stations are located in the garden courtyards, as work islands between the shelves and in individual or group work rooms in the continuum of open access areas. At the front sides of the two garden courtyards there are 3-story reading terraces. Personnel and delivery access is directly from the west into the internal functional area with magazine. The chosen building grid and support system allow for flexible usage possibilities, the utilization of synergy effects and the adaptation to changed usage concepts for both library structures.

Source: Architektur Exclusiv Lifestyle magazine,
architects ReimarHerbst.Architekten BDA,
www.reimarherbstarchitekten.de