Week Five & Six :: Project Two

Learning Centre Exemplar Analysis

Halmstad Library [Schmidt Hammer Lassen]

-       Set in a parkland space on the Tiver Nissan, overlooking Halmstad’s historical core. It has a concave façade with double height glazing, set around a circular atrium with a large existing chestnut tree. Nature, the seasons and the city all become part of the library.

-       Inside, the library is essentially open plan and the glazing on the external walls allows interaction between internal supporting columns and tree trunks outside.

-       Materials include concrete, glass and Nordich Larch [wooden] flooring.

Source: http://shl.php.dir.dk/maillist/shl-uploads/Image/Kongelige%20Bibliotek/Halmstad%20Library_reference_uk.pdf  

- “The library entrance is designed to engender a feeling of dynamism, movement and activity”.

-  On the entrance floor; the middle level (of three floors) is the reception area, the café, the news section, the children’s section, the city gallery and the fiction section. The Upper level houses the non-fiction section, the Europe direct office and the local history section. The lower level houses the stockrooms (both public and private), three study rooms and the auditorium.

- The form is modelled around trees that stood at the site – with a number of vertical concrete columns and two concrete planes running horizontally.

Source: http://www.archidose.org/Jul06/072406.html

-  Interior is light and airy and can be easily negotiated by visitors

Source: http://openbuildings.com/buildings/halmstad-library-profile-2472

     - The Library; through its design, acts to link the historic part of Halmstad and the newer developments previously divided by the river. The building extends out, over the river as if to merge the two. 

Source: http://www.architravel.com/architravel/building/halmstad-library

Reflection:

The Halmstad Library appears to be one of the most humble and simple buildings of those I’ve examined; however, the concept is probably conveyed most effectively (at least I feel I can understand it most clearly). I really like the building aesthetically, I feel it responds to its surrounds completely appropriately; set on the edge of a river around a large chestnut tree. Almost every external wall of the building is glass with the building’s concept revolving around the representation of trees that use to exist at the site. In this representation the vertical columns inside the building act as the stumps of the trees and can be seen from both inside and outside the building. I feel as though this concept of nature and the environment; with both the columns and the open atrium surrounding the chestnut tree help bring the outside and inside together. The building was designed to provoke a feeling of dynamism and movement; I believe its interaction with the outside environment; including the trees, the river and the surrounding buildings and city scape as well as the activities that take place inside, all aid in bringing these feelings to life to the building.