Innovative Spijkenisse Book Mountain by MVRDV

MVRDV has completed a new public library for the Dutch town of Spijkenisse, that features a long bookshelf spiraling up creating a mountain of books, covered by a glass shell.

Nature arranged on many levels provides both an extension to existing nature and an outstanding symbol of its artificiality. It provides multi-level public space as an extension to existing public spaces. Even by arranging existing programs on many levels, it still provided extra space at ground level, for visibility and accessibility, for the unexpected, and for nature. Dividing up the space in the Dutch entry and arranging it on multiple levels surrounds the building with spatial events and other cultural manifestations. The building becomes a monumental multi-level park. It takes on the character of a happening.

The fact that this kind of building does not yet exist means that it also gets to function as a laboratory. It not only saves space, it also saves energy, time, water, and infrastructure. A mini-ecosystem is created. It?s a survival kit. Of course, it also tests existing qualities: it attempts to find a solution for a lack of light and land.

At the same time the density and the diversity of functions builds new connections and new relationships. It can therefore serve as a symbol for the multi-faceted nature of society: it presents the paradoxical notion that as diversity increases, it seems so too does cohesion.

Source: MVRDV