Torino|via saluzzo 49
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The Heart of the Library
Helsinki
The design of Helsinki Central Library meets new requirements brought about by the digital revolution. The building volume hides a second volume, the heart of the library, a space that cuts the entire building: bounded by continuous walls spanning from the ground floor to the library roof. On the outside The Heart walls house the digital library, on the inside, paper books. This sharp division is ambivalent. On the one hand the sensory aspects related to the materiality of the printed book is enhanced. On the other hand this separation highlights the knowledge potential brought by the digital revolution. A escalator connects the outside with the rooftop, passing through to The Heart core. The ascending movement is a unique experience contemplating the memory represented by the books. The façade design, using thin cables to control the openings, suggest the character of Finnish design, denying and recalling ornament, at the same time.