NØRREBRO BIBLIOTEK

PUBLIC LIBRARY/SKATEPARK. COPENHAGEN, DENMARK. 2018

The project is located in Hans Tavsens Park, in the Nørrebro neighborhood of Copenhagen. A highly transited park in the neighborhood by both pedestrians and cyclist commuters, the library sits at the intersection of three pedestrian paths and one bike path that connects to the larger Nørrebroruten. On opposite ends of the park, there are two schools, one primary and secondary. This is one of the reasons why the public library program provides an element of outdoor activity such as the skatepark. It is comprised of three separate buildings; one dedicated to the cafe, one housing a multi-purpose event space (gallery, exhibition, auditorium, etc.), and a third one housing the library/offices which consists of five distinct towers added together. 

The building explores a new formal language in relation to the context of danish vernacular architecture, the tall spires that pierce the Copenhagen skyline, and the color palettes created by the red brick buildings found throughout the city. It was also conceived as the materialization of "The Library of Babel " text by Jorge Luis Borges, where he envisions a precise and ever-expanding library, one that both functions as mankind's way to catalog knowledge and the enormity of such a task. The tomb of Soren Kierkegaard sits right next to the park at the Assistens Cemetery, the library also pays tribute to his philosophical legacy that now permeates Danish contemporary culture. A library in Nørrebro that explores new possibilities for engaging with urban and younger audiences through the incorporation of the skatepark under the building. All while retaining the existential essence that is mankind’s eternal struggle with what it means to acquire knowledge, and how to store and access it.