Deichman Library / Atelier Oslo + Lund Hagem

Deichman Bjørvika, Norway

“After being named the Public Library of the Year 2021, we have received positive
media coverage as well as increased public awareness and recognition of our new
library. We see the award as a brilliant way to promote and acknowledge all the hard
work that we have delivered in regard to creating one of the best libraries out there.”
The award is presented to a library somewhere in the world that has best managed
to combine open and functional architecture with creative IT solutions and has
included both digital developments and local culture.
 Architects: Atelier Oslo, Lund Hagem
 Area : 19600 m²

Year:2020

located in Bjørvika, right by Oslo's Opera House.

 City : Sentrum
 Country : Norway

Deichman Bjørvika is Oslo´s new main public library, stretching over

six storeys with a wide diversity of knowledge, experiences,
inspiration and events. The Library functions as a dynamic meeting
point in the city, with a vast collection of media and different facilities
for all ages.

The architectural concept of the Library, by Atelier Oslo and

Lundhagem Architects, is a “large, central continuous space”,
spanning over 19 600 sqm.. The building is a climate-focused, state-
of-the-art declaration for a modern library.

The library's architecture is closely tied to its role as a public space. The top
of the building cantilevers out to announce its presence to the visitors that
arrive from Oslo's city center and the central station. Cuts in the facade
mark the entrances the east, west and south, welcoming people from all
sides of the city.

Diagonal light shafts cut through the building and connect indoor spaces
with the streets outside and the nearby Opera House. After dark, the
building glows and change looks as a reflection of all the different activities
and events that take place inside.
it is a modern and dynamic library that contains not only Deichman's
extensive book collections, but also a movie theatre, media workshops,
gaming zones, lounges and a restaurant - among other things.
the library contains a cinema, open workshops, cafés and ample space to relax, read
and explore. The library also hosts lectures, courses, discussions, readings and
activities for children. 

Deichman Bjørvika is an environmentally friendly building with innovative solutions for

facade, ventilation and use of materials.

The international architecture competition to design Oslo’s new main library was won by Lund
Hagem and Atelier Oslo architects in 2009. The librarians wanted a house that would inspire
visitors to explore all the new facilities and activities the modern library can offer. This
motivated us to create an open and intriguing building in which you are constantly invited
around the next corner, to discover new places.

From the top floor, you have a great view of the Oslo fjord.
The site is relatively small. In order to avoid building too many floors, the building cantilevers
out above its footprint:

The first floor above the street to the east, and the fourth floor almost 20 meters out above the
urban plaza, creating a protective covering for the entrance.

This largest cantilever displays the building to the city and still preserves the line of sight to
the neighbouring Opera. The cantilevered floors are suspended from the roof above.

The roof has a characteristic folded geometry that provides structural strength.

In order to create an enhanced feeling of openness and connection with the city, the ground
floor facade is completely transparent. Visitors are received by three equivalent entrances,
facing in different directions. Three ‘light shafts’ cut diagonally through the building from each
of the entrances, giving a glimpse into different sections of the library. The light shafts connect
the floors and distribute daylight downwards from three big skylights in the roof.

An open public space dominates the interior, with a variety of furniture and activities.
Enclosed spaces and niches are organised around three free standing book towers, liberating
the facades and allowing daylight to flow in from all directions.

Rooms and niches create arenas for temporal installations and exhibitions, with a rich variety
of colours and atmospheres. The open areas have more permanent surfaces in neutral colours
and robust materials. The concrete structures around the light shafts and in the folded roof
are lasting elements that give the building a permanent and recognizable quality.

The facade combines high insulation value and even distribution of daylight. Narrow insulated
panels alternate with narrow glass panels. The diffused glass of the interior eases the
impression of the closed panels, creating a soft and even interior light. The facades are
relatively closed in order to strengthen the impression of the light shafts and the library’s
inner life and activities. In the corners of the building panoramic windows open views in
different directions, lending variation and tension to the interior.

The architecture of the library was designed by Lund Hagem Arkitekter in

collaboration with AtelierOslo and is closely linked to its role as a public space. The
new library is planned as a six-story building with a basement. The main architectural
concept is based on the large library space which runs through the center and
extends upward across each floor. The library is to have a translucent facade, with the
top floor cantilevered out and opening up in the direction of the city center. Recesses
in the facade mark the east, west and south entrances of the building. Not only is the
new library a functional building of high architectural quality, it is also innovative in
its use of forward-looking, climate-friendly solutions. The idea is for the finished
library to take the lead in terms of energy efficiency and reduction of greenhouse gas
emissions.
The ground floor facades of the halls and entrance areas are a steel post and beam
design with triple glazing. The surfaces of the facades on the upper stories, in which
the library rooms are located, are realized as a unitized facade with a completely new
form and material concept . Solid facade posts with a diameter of approximately 20
inches have a retaining construction to accommodate panes of laminated safety
glass with lighting features, both on the inside and outside, which can be opened for
cleaning and maintenance purposes. The facade columns stand three feet apart. Not
only do they provide shade when the sun is low, they are also the basis for the
desired effects of incident light. The vertical facade columns consisting of fire
protection-classified glass fiber reinforced plastic filled with thermal insulation, and
the fill elements made of triple glazing, constituted the essential part of the
development work together with the horizontal connector elements. The facades of
the new Deichmanske Bibliothek were designed in such a way as to meet high
thermal and climatic requirements with ease.
he location between Oslo Central Station and the Opera House
exposes the library to the large public space Operaallmenningen, and
helps to give life and activity to the city and the surrounding urban
space. The location next to the Opera House makes great demands on
the expression of the building's facade and its interaction with the
surrounding context. The building The building's form is a response to
the surroundings – the building views into the city fabric of Bjørvika
and respects the sight lines to the Opera House. The cantilevered
areas, over the sightline to the Opera and the street towards east,
solve the space requirements for the library while providing the
building with a distinctive shape and a clear orientation towards the
city and the library plaza in front. The interior spaces are organized
around three diagonal light shafts (voids) that spread light and create
contact between the different levels. From each of the three
entrances, sightlines through these light shafts create contact between
the library and the city. The spatial organization creates a great variety
of different spaces and places. The new Deichman will be a modern
library built with a human scale and were the human being is in
center, not the stack of books. The ambition is that the new library will
be the new main meeting place for the citizens of Oslo. The building
area is approximately 20000sqm gross area with library, service and
office areas of approximately 13500sqm. The area is divided into five
main floors above ground level and one basement level. The
continuous library space is extending through all levels with open
media collections. More specialized rooms are organized around the
three technical cores. In parts of 1st Floor and 1st Mezzanine are
restaurant and cafe areas. Administration areas are located around
the northeastern core at all levels except level 2. In the basement level
you will also find auditorium and cinema. The main construction is
made of concrete. The most distinctive construction element is the
folded concrete slab in the top roof that solves the main cantilever of
18 meters towards the Library plaza and the cantilever over the street,
Tverrgata, in the east. For both situations, the levels under are
suspended with steel rods from the folded slab. The other slabs
consists of a bubble deck concept with varying spans up to 14 m,
which cantilevers out towards the facade, up to approx. 4 meters. The
facade is a further development of the competition entry whose
design ambition was to create a unified and calm skin for the building.
For that, the design is based on the organization of translucent and
transparent areas that will make the building glow at night.
Translucent areas on the facade are dominant and transparent areas,
less in number, will be placed on selected parts of the building
including the ground floor, where a clear view at the street level
(entrance level) aims to maximize the building’s contact with the city.
To achieve a low U-value and protection from the sun (required for the
passive house standard) the facade will contain of a given percentage
of solid areas. Solid areas will be materialized by rounded, floor to
ceiling, composite elements GFRP, distributed evenly along the facade.
Their round shapes together with the transparent/ translucent glasses
that cover them will soften the overall facade expression. Towards the
ground the library has a completely transparent glass facade that
opens the library towards the surrounding city and makes the ground
floor an extension of the surrounding public spaces.

The exterior of the new library is reminiscent of several books

stacked on top of one another. The top tier is displaced, jutting
outward, just like a book in a stack.
This type of facade has been designed to ‘announce its presence to
visitors', according to the team behind the project. The building
certainly challenges the onlooker to make sense of the unnatural
structure before them.
For a different perspective, take a visit to the building at night
when it's illuminated. Many aspects of the building have been
carefully planned to evoke feelings in those that either gaze upward
or approach the building on foot.

Inside the building

The city's new public library is expected to welcome over two
million visitors each year, and with a floor space of 19,600-square-
foot floor space, there is plenty room and things for them to
explore.

That space is spread across six floors. As well as a lot of books,

there will be some cleverly designed reading and study places. The
building is so different from other libraries, not least because it also
has a cinema hall, gaming zone, workshops and a sleek-looking
restaurant, all designed to bring the public inside.

The design
Situated across the road from Oslo’s Opera House, the new
Deichman Library has been designed with its surroundings in mind.
From the outside, it fits in well with its new neighbours, most
noticeably the Barcode buildings and the Opera House, and looks
sure to become one of the city's iconic buildings.

The Bjørvika part of the capital feels fresh and innovative, full of
buildings that state an ambition for growth and progress in the
capital. And not only does the Deichman building fit in with this
ambition, it's more than its outer looks, it also boasts impressive
functionality inside too.

The library building adds to the growing portfolios of Lund

Hagem and Atelier architecture firms.

Mixing new structures with older, established buildings requires a

consideration of the surroundings of both nature and existing
buildings. Using the right materials is also vital in order to succeed
with a design. Hagem’s projects seem to strike the right balance
with each new build.