Contract - January/February 2014 - 116

Client
City of Kanazawa

Location
Kanazawa, Japan

Coelacanth K&H Architects
"A monumental, yet intimate space-the architecture and the
interiors are seamless. With a meticulous, well-executed design,
this very powerful, memorable place is a modern interpretation
of something classic and iconic." JURY

says Kazumi Kudo, who co-founded Coelacanth K&H a corner for crafting. Connecting the floors is a
circular staircase with a smooth, white enclosure
Architects with Hiroshi Horiba, and collaborated
punctuated by square openings, reflecting the
with him on this library. "It is a mission of a library to
provide space in which many people can comfortably building's facade design and overall form.
The reading room is typically a quiet space,
read together," she says.
but the library includes other areas intended for
The architects designed the library as a "cake
more social activities. Meeting rooms, galleries,
box" containing a basement and three floors, or
and a theater that seats more than 220 people are
"layers," totaling 60,700 square feet. Approximately
located on the ground floor near the entrance to be
6,000 glazed, circular openings-each measuring
easily accessible. And the building gives back to the
8, 10, or 12 inches in diameter-punctuate the
community in another way: it uses one-third less
glass-fiber reinforced concrete facade, which is
energy than typical civic buildings in the region.
finished with plaster board painted white on the
Aside from extensive daylighting, other sustainable
interior. These openings allow for soft, uniform
features include natural ventilation through
light to stream in during the day, and emit a
openings in the roof and an under-floor radiant
lantern-like glow at night.
system that keeps the building comfortable for
A soaring reading room-drawing inspiration
Now that information is available digitally anytime,
occupants year-round.
anywhere, people need good reasons to trek to their from the grand reading room within Bibliothèque
Although Kanazawa has a population of
nationale de France in Paris, designed by Henri
local libraries. The Kanazawa Umimirai Library,
450,000, more than 800,000 people have visited the
Labrouste-occupies most of the second floor and
designed by Tokyo-based Coelacanth K&H
library within a year. Its spaces encourage visitors to
measures 150-by-150-feet square and 40-feet-tall.
Architects, has considerable appeal as a gathering
Twenty-five slender steel columns painted white are pick up books and stay for a while, but when they
place for residents of the already dense and rapidly
leave, Kudo says, it also inspires them to log in to
spaced evenly throughout, creating the illusion of
urbanizing city of Kanazawa, located in Japan's
Facebook and post about their positive experiences
a forest. Compact, automated shelves store books
Ishikawa Prefecture. Its simple form, punctured
at the library, perpetuating the cycle. c
and allow for flexibility and openness.
by thousands of openings to maximize daylight,
Library patrons can choose to sit at study
encloses tranquil, inviting spaces that celebrate the
carrels lining the exterior wall, tables dispersed
act of reading and serve as hubs for the community.
throughout the space, or along a continuous counter
The building reflects trends in library design
wrapping the glass balustrade of the mezzanine.
in Japan and many other countries that encourage
Many of the minimal furnishings in the library were
patrons to linger, and it functions as more than just
designed by Tokyo-based Fujie Kazuko Atelier.
a repository for books. "While there have been big
changes in society, thanks to advances in technology, Overlooking the reading room, the mezzanine
provides additional, informal reading areas and
the existence of a physical library is still expected,"
By Murrye Bernard
Photography by
Satoshi Asakawa

116

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Contract - January/February 2014

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