In order to deal with a significant urban context, which is characterized by major historical, cultural and institutional buildings as well as the largest city’s park, the design of the Helsinki Central Library, is based on complex principles that ease its integration with surrounding environment.
The main concept is characterized by the use of multiple layers, which are derived from a careful morphological reading, and have the intent to break down reality into overlapping systems. By doing this, the project seek to avoid the traditional design patterns, in favour of a new method that allows, through the superposition of the individual layers, to obtain a single body dynamic and in constant evolution. The building, thus, becomes a hinge (critical node ) of the area in which it is implanted , closing an urban system until now unsolved, and acting as a new symbol of the city. The structure involves two blocks, which are organized for working independently, but at the same time they are part of the identical organism. The first block contains the library, which overlooks the park like a huge telescope, merging culture with the principle of the inseparable relationship between man and nature “ Si hortum in bibliotheca habes , nihil deerit “ [M.T. Cicerone] with an internal spatial conformation that “ follow the light “, “A man with a book goes to the light . A library begins that way .” [L.Kahn ] .
The second block , in order to deal with the vacuum in the direction of the Finnish Parliament , contains all the functions that develop the concept of the library projected into the future. A library where people meet, where their skills grows in workshops or workplaces group or individual . This results in flexible interior spaces that can adapt to any types of user . The building elevation presents two different solutions for the two blocks. In fact, the first is shown as a single and continuous block, , which persists in its compactness even after the intersection with the second block and it is covered with fiberglass panels micro-perforated that provide a pixel effect. This depends on the density of the holes , with the park which is more in the report, as if to emphasize the multimedia library.
The other block communicates directly with the parliament and, moreover, it receive its influence in the relationship between solids and voids as well as the materials . Indeed, in the centre of the intersection with the other block , it has a large opening, just like the Parliament .
This creates a portal system consists of two feet clad in concrete blocks to retrieve the stone cladding of the parliament and the lintel. The latter is in turn divided into three parts: the central part fully glazed and the two ends always coated in concrete blocks to give continuity to two feet, but transparent, in order to give particular dynamism to a volume that is presented in a monumental condition. The transparent effect is gathered from outside especially in the night , when the dark transparent cement lets seep the interior lights . when it comes to the building interior, however, during daily hours the visitor can have a clear perception of brightness variations and the external environment as well as a significant environmental comfort and valuable energy savings.