The story of a dazzling new public library in Norwaya triumph of crystalline, sculptural grandeur
Deichman Bjørvika, Olsos new public library, was completed and opened in summer 2020 after a lengthy period of planning and construction. Located opposite the citys Opera House and the Munch Museum, this imposing building fits into the ensemble in the new cultural quarter of the Norwegian capital. The project, designed by Lund Hagem Architects and Atelier Oslo following an international architectural competition, was conceived around a radical paradigm of the library as a place for conviviality and substantial multimedia platforms in a conducive, unobtrusive environment.
The publication documents in detail the planning and building process, from the first draft to the opening. Essays by the novelist Elif Shafak and the librarys long-term director Liv Sæteren explain the significance of the institution as an integrative social force, while Niklas Maak pays tribute to the building from the perspective of architectural criticism. Iwan Baan and Hélène Binet capture the architecture and its atmosphere in exquisite photographs.
