The program is distributed on two floors: on the ground floor lies the atrium, reception area, auditorium, bar and staff facilities (archives, reserves room, conference room, offices facing the garden), and on the first floor is the reading room, separated into children’s and adult sections, and copy room. Public access to the Library is situated at the space defined by the central opening in the raised volume of the reading room. Staff access is separated from the public atrium and is planned as the enclosed service space at the eastern end of the complex.

The proposed architectural expression is mainly the outcome of the following options: elevation of the largest volume of the Library, which is supported at the eastern and western extremes by two L-shaped pillars and by the ground-floor volume respectively, ensuring visibility of the river across a great span of the building; orthogonality in plan and elevation; prevalence of long horizontal openings, complemented by skylights in the reading room; exposed white concrete on the exterior surface and stone-cladding for the base of the building; solar protection or appropriate orientation of the window openings; volumetric definition based on a dialogue between landscape and built form.

Text provided by the architect.

The sequence of rooms inside creates a material development that literally rises from the raw and archaic to the noble and exquisite. Access and storage spaces and a guest room with private bathroom are on the lowest level. A colored tiled floor spreads out in the vestibule. The upper floors are accessible via a staircase. A closed railing made of black sheet steel leads upwards with an elegant curve and accompanies the ascent with a gestural movement. The living room, the kitchen and a two-story studio room are located on the piano nobile. On the top floor, there are two bedrooms and a bathroom accessible via a spiral staircase.

None of the rammed earth walls required stabilization and or surface treatment. The design of the house is characterized by the load-bearing properties of the rammed earth walls and the locally sourced, dowelled timber ceilings. The rammed earth walls can only be loaded under pressure without reinforcement. Their strength is created by compressing the excavated material along with the clay contained therein. 85 percent of the building material could be obtained directly from the excavation pit — with the clay walls even consisting entirely of excavated material. By this means, about 50 percent of grey energy compared to a conventional solid construction could be saved. The rammed earth walls further act as a buffer and can guarantee a constantly pleasant indoor climate with a relative humidity of around 50 percent. A buffer storage tank is fed primarily by the roof collectors and via the storage stove with cooking area in the kitchen. A secondary pellet heating system is provided as a back-up should the two other sources not supply enough energy.

Text provided by the architect.