Helsinki Central Library
Contemporary, yet classic in its proportions and materialization, the new Helsinki library is envisioned as a bold and expressive volume that interacts directly with the urban surroundings through a series of L-shaped exterior terraces and canopies. These spaces are materialized as elegant facades out of full and perforated brass plates, glass, yellow glazed bricks, copper colored ceramics and endemic vegetation. The cross like form of the building will act as a powerful landmark in the park: an expressive elevation that can be seen as a distinctive visual icon from across the Töölönlahti Bay.
The central interior atrium allows the building to work efficiently in energetic terms with its large saw tooth roof, and establishes a proactive interrelation between all parts of the program. The visual relations in between different programmatic elements across the central hall and the combination of horizontal and vertical spatial experiences create a dynamic composition for an animated and active public hall of culture.
