Royal Danish Library Aarhus Aarhus

GOAL no. 3, 4, 7, 12, 13, 16

The transformation of the Royal Danish Library Aarhus redefines the library as a public space that can be used for focused work, team processes or a break with table tennis, boxing or gaming.

A growing number of young people are struggling with loneliness, exam anxiety and mental distress. Many do not feel included in their student community, a problem that two years of Covid lockdowns has exacerbated. Libraries can be important social and cultural meeting places, but in many cases, their layout needs rethinking.

Rising visitor numbers at the Royal Danish Library in Aarhus and a need to relocate the large server room led to a decision to renovate and reorganize the building and create a new public space. Today, the library has become the public gathering place of the Universitetsparken (the University Park).

The library’s new heart is the green oasis on the first floor: the Library Garden. This double-height loggia is home to 4–6-metre-tall trees, a variety of other plants and running water that improves the indoor climate. An almost 7-metre-tall bookcase with built-in seating niches visually ties the four floors together. The former server room now houses a student kitchen with a dining space, meeting room and ‘Tænkepausen’ (Pause for Thought), a room where a curving oak floor defines zones with different facilities. A glass wall shields against external noise, and three thick wool curtains define circular spaces for mindfulness, massage and gaming.

Other adaptations, including incorporating the basement and rethinking the design of the reading room, have allowed new activities. The heat output from the server is used for heating space and water, new solar cells on the roof contribute to the power supply, and switching to LED lighting has reduced energy consumption.

This project demonstrates how a library can be transformed into sustainable, contemporary and varied settings for research, inspiration, recreation, socializing and learning without resulting in added resource consumption.

Project details

Where: Victor Albecks Vej 1, 8000 Aarhus C

Completed: 2020

Client: Det Kgl. Bibliotek (Royal Danish Library)

Architects and advisors: Arkitema Architects, MOE (today: Artelia – engineer)