Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Architect: Jo Coenen & Co Architekten.

The Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam (OBA) is a large-scale construction designed by architect Jo Coenen. The library is a hallmark in Coenen’s oeuvre, along with the Vesteda Toren in Eindhoven and the Markt-Maas project in Maastricht. The library’s design is focused on the inner world, with the exterior and interior being indissolubly unified. The building is a piled-up program of 28,500 m2 in an urban envelope with a volume of about 40 meters height, 40 meters width, and a length of 120 meters. The library’s design is based on the assignment to unite the grown-apart world of books and the creation of a library of experience.

The building is very accessible, with different spots with unique atmospheres making visitors affectionate to the building. The contrast between different atmospheres can be found in the composition of the building, as well as the interior and exterior. Movement is crucial to the way architecture is experienced by the senses, and the architecture of the library as a whole is also, figuratively speaking, in motion. The library’s construction and technique are inextricably linked, with form, function, and technique all affecting numerous aspects of its construction. Natural stone has been used for the construction of public buildings and public areas in European cities from time immemorial, and it is used in the library’s construction. Light is a factor of great importance in architecture, and the library’s design allows natural light to penetrate the heart of the building. The library has a number of pleasant spots, including the square in front of the building, the large open space outside to the left of the building, and the bay windows where one can look out into the distance in two different directions away from the adjacent buildings.

Photo credit: Arjen Schmitz.