Location: Utrecht, Netherlands.

Architect: Wiel Arets Architects.

The Utrecht University Library, established in 1636, is located on the Uithof campus and is comprised of the library itself and an adjacent parking garage with multiple voids. The building’s façade is fritted with an abstracted image of fossilized papyrus, which softens the amount of daylight that permeates the interior, increasing the shelf life of the books. The library facilitates both group and independent study of students with 1,300 seats, 500 parking spaces, 560-student workstations, 300 librarian workstations, and an auditorium within its cavernous interior. The floors are finished in a glossy white polyurethane, while all other surfaces are painted matte black, which subconsciously directs users to their desired area. The omnipresent color black is critical to creating the interior’s transcending atmosphere of concentration, security, and silent communication. The library does not have one central book depot, and instead utilizes multiple stacks dispersed throughout each level, which seem to float like black storm clouds throughout the main space. When totaled, these stacks house more than 4.2 million books.

Photo credit: Mark Hadden.