After the analysis on some examples of the libraries coming both from the past and from the contemporary age, like the Biblioteca Marciana in Venice, the Laurenziana in Florence, the one by Asplund in Stockholm, Kahn’s Exeter Libray and the Rolex Learning Center of Sanaa in Lausanne, we came out with The Public Library 2.0. A traditional library has books all around the walls and tables in the middle, or the opposite (with tables that surround the shelves); the stairs are just connecting elements.

What we tried was to create a system without boundaries, where everything can be “all in one”. In that case the stairs are the connecting elements, the bookshelves, the space to stay and the furniture too. People can enjoy the space in different ways without having a precise edge or limit. The sunlight coming smoothly from the top gives the space a great atmosphere.

The contrast between inside and outside is really deep. The volume is completely closed from the outside, but the glossy concrete reflects the surroundings and linking it to what is around it. In that way people can go through the thick wall and discover the Stream of Knowledge.