An Open Sanctuary
Historically, libraries have been perceived as enclosed spaces for silent encounters between books and people. However, with the advent of digitisation, traditional notions of the libraries are being challenged, and viewed as open spaces that can facilitate introspection and collaboration simultaneously. The primary design challenge, therefore lies in negotiating between degrees of openess and enclosure so that it may serve as a cultural hub and a solitary sanctuary for its users.
The proposal addresses this dichotomy through an open façade facing the city and the seamless integration with the spectacular landscape of the Daemosan City Environmental Park to the west. The curved roof form, oriented towards the natural reserve, situates the library building at the seam between the urban and the ecological.
The design of the library unifies modern infrastructure with traditional Korean architecture by drawing inspiration from wooden temples, pavilions, and palaces. The iconic curved floating roof of the proposed building is reminiscent of the “Neowa” roof-form. This form also fulfils spatial needs by providing ample volume to accomodate all the programmatic requirements while ensuring that the building is not visually bulky in its immediate context.
The ground floor is a dynamic space that can foster public engagement and double up as a gateway to the garden. This effectively opens the library to its environs. The porous nature of the ground floor allows abundant natural light to flood the spaces while framing picturesque views of the garden. This arrangement ensures that the library’s reading spaces are visible and easily accessible. The upper floors are conceived as terraces nestled within the tent-like volume of the structure. A single stairway unifies these terraces, creating a vertical promenade that allows users to explore and engage with the building.
The site’s unique location at the threshold of urban and natural landscapes opens up possibilities of creating a publicly accessible garden as a transitory space along its western edge. Diverse areas for walking, gathering, and contemplation are curated and native plantings enhance the ecological wealth of the library’s surroundings. The richly forested landscape reduces in density towards the building, forming an intermediate-scale garden that links the reading spaces and the forest beyond. The attributes aquired by these spaces respond sensitively to Korea’s temperate climate. The deliberately planned vegetation of the garden mirror the forest’s colours, scents, and textures.The garden softly pulses as the heart of the library and in a single gesture, marries architectural, natural and literary elements. It offers sanctuary for all who visit.