New central library, Berlin, Deutschland

Program: design of the new central library in Tempelhof-Schoneberg, Berlin, including an auditorium, cafeteria and offices
Size: 58000 sqm
Status: shortlisted competition 2013

The Tempelhof Library project reflects various assessments about the location and the nature of the Institution. The relationship with the location is focused on two fronts: the old Tempelhof semi-circular airport and, on the opposite side, the highway + railway. As for the ancient airport the Library’s main axis gets to the center or the emicircle of the airport and the facade towards the park, where the old airport runways were, is a wider-than-tall, hangar-like one. On the opposite side the theme was building an iconic facade perceptible even at long distance and high speed from cars or trains. On this side the facade gets taller than wide. Going to the nature of the Institution the brief asked for spaces both for the main function, at urban scale, and for collateral functions much more related to the neighbourhood. The result is a kind of a “cross scheme” where a low collateral-functions building crosse and supports the main building dedicated to the Library itself.