The competition site is split into three blocks, with the new library acting as a separate building located towards the west. The broken down scale of the blocks in conjunction with the pedestrian connections created, integrate the project into the surrounding urban fabric and give life to the streets.
The positioning of the library brings activity to the square ‘Operaallmenningen’. It offers the visitors to the library the best views towards the city, the fjord, the surrounding green hills of Oslo as well as keeping the distance to public transport to a minimum.
The top of the library cantilevers out to announce its presence to the visitors arriving from down town Oslo and the station. Big cuts in the façade mark the entrances on three sides of the building, bringing in the public from all parts of the city. At the same time the cuts give views into the different domains of the library. The core of the new Deichman library is based on light and space and continuous diagonal views established between the library interior and the surrounding streets/square. Through atriums and discontinued floor plates the library is united with the city outside.
The façade diffuses the sunlight, giving a calm feeling to the interior. At night, the building will glow and change appearance reflecting all the different activities and events inside the library.
