Architects: Bruno Fioretti Marquez.
Location: Berlin, Germany.
Year: 2008.
Photographs: via BFM , Christoph Rokitta, ORCH Chemollo.
Köpenik, where this library is situated, is located at the confluence of the Spree river with the Dahme tributary and is characterized by an exceptional landscape context and a well-preserved historic centre. The objectives of the project are to redefine the road layout, the precise articulation of the square in two areas, and the setting of a clear hierarchy between the square and the external spaces of the library. The layout of the new building takes up the scale of the existing building and creates spatial situations marked by specific and distinct urban characters. The new construction stands on the traces of the original single-storey building demolished at the beginning of the last century and recomposes the original design of the Altmarktplatz. It opens onto a green and tree-lined courtyard and a glazed space where the lending section of the library is located.
To preserve the value and material qualities of the existing building, renovations are kept to a minimum and an elevator is inserted in a pre-existing chimney. A ramp overcomes the level differences between the new and the existing one and brings the latter back within the regulations for the disabled.
