Danish architect’s office wins competition for new university library
The Danish architect’s office Cobe and their proposal Kunskapens fyr (The Lighthouse of Knowledge) wins the design contest for a new university library at Näckrosen. According to the jury, the winning proposal shows a building with strenght of character that meets the people who will visit and use the building with convincing management of flows and functions.
– Cobe's proposal best meets the needs of the university's and university library's operations. During the competition, they showed great sensitivity to the points of view we had. The proposal also fits in well with the sensitive environment in the area, and opens up between the Näckrosen area and Korsvägen in a way that makes both the park environment and the university more accessible, says Morgan Palmqvist, head librarian at the University of Gothenburg.
The new university library will bring together the current Humanities Library, the Art Library and the Music and Drama Library under one roof. The new building will also house the university's archives and the University Library's office and unit for digital services. Moving several operations to the building will also make it possible to create more study places in the other libraries.
– The new university library gives the University of Gothenburg the opportunity to offer our students and researchers an attractive knowledge environment and access to unique collections. It feels fantastic that we have now taken another important step on the way to realizing our goal of creating a meeting place for academia and society in the Näckrosen university area, says Eva Wiberg, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Gothenburg.
Facts:
- The design contest started in May 2019. 59 architectural offices that they wanted to participate. Based on a pre-qualification, seven entries were selected. Of these, three offices then went on to develop their proposals and sketches in consultation with the University of Gothenburg and Akademiska Hus.
- Planned construction start: spring 2025
- Planned to be ready for occupation: summer 2028
Read more: We are building for the future (gu.se)
Illustration: Cobe
Illustration: Cobe
Illustration: Cobe