An addition to Asplund’s Stockholm Library, this project proposes a new Public Library. While the external massing of the building is based primarily on relations to the macro-environment, the key design feature is the use of cellular patterns as a means to new forms of figuration. Instead of reiterating the symmetrical and hierarchical principles of the Asplund Building’s geometry, the new building considers the non-linear geometry often observed in natural systems. Cells vary in scale, thickness, and density, and are able to adapt without breaking their distinct formal logic. Shaping the apertures of the boxy mass, the cellular patterns appear almost geological—like snowflakes.
The interior of the building contains a nested, hive-like formation. Sprouting layers of stairs and bridges to connect multiple levels, the hive serves as a formal and organizational mechanism. Hive cells vary in scale and color to provide opportunities for various types of inhabitation, from individual reading cells, to study clusters. Library stacks are organized around this nested object on two floors.
Client: Stockholm City Government
Type: Public Library
