A new cultural centre
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| Visualisation: Yi Artchitects / Aldinger & Wol |  Visualisation: Yi Artchitects / Aldinger & Wol |
The first public building to open in the new Europa district will be the new library, which will be situated in the future Mailänder Platz and inaugurated in mid-2011. In the immediate vicinity of Türlenstrasse and Budapester Platz underground stops, the library will be easily accessible by local public transport. It is expected to attract more than one million visitors per annum. The Europe-wide open competition, for which entries were submitted by 235 architectural firms, was won by Korean architect Professor Eun Young Yi. The ground-breaking ceremony took place on 8 November 2008.
Facts & figures about the new library
The new library will cost in the region of EUR 74 million. The almost perfect cube will have a floor area of 44 by 44 metres and will be 40 metres high, with two floors below and nine above ground level. There will be entrances on all four sides. The shell of the building is designed as a double façade made of glass bricks, with a walk-in space in between the two walls for an experience with a difference. The building will house 500,000 media units, which is 80,000 more than the number in Wilhelmspalais today. Books will be available in all European languages.
The library’s energy consumption will be 40 per cent lower than the limit prescribed by the German Energy Savings Regulation and photovoltaic plant is to be integrated. Geothermic piles will be installed to produce geothermal energy for heating and cooling the building, so that there will be virtually no need for artificial ventilation systems. The lake around the building will be filled with rainwater and therefore require practically no tap water.
Interior design
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| Visualisation: Yi Architects | Visualisation: Yi Architects |
Behind the glass façade, visitors to the library will find themselves in spacious, light rooms. The new library is more than just a building that lends out books and other media: it is a venue which offers a first-hand experience of culture and literature and which focuses on the visitor. A special highlight is the “heart” in the centre of the building – a quiet, high-ceilinged room with many windows, above which there will be a funnel-shaped gallery room bathed in light.
The function room will be able to accommodate up to 300 people and will serve as a venue for cultural events. There will also be a far higher number of meeting rooms than in the present Wilhelmspalais. Entertainments and refreshments will be available in the literature café and on the rooftop area.
The webcam of the new library
The picture is updated every 60 seconds.