Sou Fujimoto, Musashino Art University Library Review

Musashino Art University Library Reviewed by Hee Suk Lee

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0. Table of Contents

1. Musashino Art University Library Background 2. Site Context 3. Parti 4. Enclosure / Skin 5. Circulation 6. Nature of The Collection and Storage & Structure 7. Building Diagram 8. Analysis / Discussion Question 9. Bibliography / Appendix

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Musashino Art University Library Architect: Sou Fujimoto Location: Greater Tokyo Area, Japan Client: Musashino Art University Site area: 111,691.93 m² Built area: 2,883.18 m² Total floor area: 6,419.17 m² Design Year: 2007-2009 Construction Year: 2009-2010 Completion Date: June 2010 Project Budget: Not Open to Public Program: University Library & Gallery

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Musashino Art University Library Musashino Art University is one of the top Art Universities in Japan. They wanted to build an addition to their existing library. The existing library was built in 1962, which was packed and outdated.

The programs of the space are Library and Art Gallery.

Overall shape of the library is a giant continuous curving spiral bookshelf, which represents forest of books. The spiral represents infiniteness and growth of human knowledge.

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Site Context

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The University campus is 27-acre, located 40 km west of central Tokyo.

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Within 3 km, there are 18 libraries where 6 libraries are public. Within 5 km, there are 6 universities, Musashino University is the only Art Library amongst them. Within 3 km, there are 11 train stations.

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Musashino Art University campus is surrounded by small residential houses, green landscape, and empty lots.

300 m to Main Gate

40 km

North

TOKYO

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Parti

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“Library should be the place for bookshelves�

The library is composed of books, bookshelves, light and place.

The simplest library is the most library-like, with a question of interiority being exterior and exteriority becoming interior.

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Big theme of the library is Searchability & Strollability. The Searchability represents expectation, knowing where books are located. He established this through wayfinding throughout the library. The Strollability represents having no intentions and walking infinitely like walking in forest, and encounter some new books which will bring new experiences.

Infiniteness/Growth of Human Knowledge

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Searchability

Strollability

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Parti

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The library is about creating a forest with artificial bookshelves.

There are infinite positions and infinite layers which create infinite views. Also skylights representing atmosphere of clouds really accentuate the feeling of walking in forest.

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The other elegant concept of this library is having a duality or opposite of different scales. It provides both cozy scales and vast scales, where users occupy the space differently. And this is all occuring under one continuous form.

Cozy scale created by closed off shelves

Vast scale created by opening up shelves and create open area with layres of bookshelves

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Enclosure / Skin The outer skin is the curtain wall covered bookshelf that wraps the extent of the library site. The skin itself speaks very strongly about Fujimoto’s concept. It is quite monolithic, creating a subtle landmark statement. At the building’s exterior, the shelf is stained dark brown and have been chemically treated for fire protection. Outer skin shelf hides the steel hardware that secures the exterior glazing.

During the day, the whole structure gets accentuated with its endless bookshelf statement. Contrary, under dim light, the inside of library gets accentuated, inviting users with warm fluorescent light. Overall, from the outer skin, the library seems endless with its layers of views and 9-meter-high bookshelf. From the façade, it is difficult to tell number of floors of the building. Also, the entrance door being quite regular scale compared to the library itself makes the entrance experience seem quite mysterious.

Also, the skylight creates cloud-like atmosphere. The ceiling is made of polycarbonate panels, which allow sunlight to opaquely shine though. The alignment of skylight does not line up with the spiral, which accentuate the walking in the forest feeling.

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Circulation There are two entrances to the library. One from the main entrance from the ground level, and one from the second floor level. The second floor level is accessible from both main entrance alleyway and the existing library.

The cut out spaces of the bookshelf create circulation path and windows. The wayfinding is also different from a typical library. The number that is used for wayfinding is not in ascending order, but it is shuffled. The wayfinding is marked on the floor to indicate where they are located, and mirror onto the bookshelf.

Fujimoto wanted users to be lost in books. There are infinite number of circulation choices. It creates feeling of lost in time and create intimate relationship with unexpected books.

The main connection between first floor and second floor is blurred by the main grand staircase. The grand staircase is between spiral of two bookshelf walls and series of stepped shelves (also used as auditorium). This creates very topography like experience where the first floor and second floor is just one connected space rather than separate floors.

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Nature of The Collection and Its Storage & Structures There are three floors to this library. The basement consists of a closed archive. The main and second floor is accessible to students, and second floor open on Wednesdays and Fridays to the public for those who make reservations. They define the first floor as research floor, and the second floor as study floor.

There are room for 300,000 units. Currently there are 200,000 units, where 100,000 is in the closed archive, while the other half in the open archive.

The library is organized by numeric system from 0 to 9. The numbers represent, 0 – Generalities 1 – Philosophy 2 – History 3 – Social Science 4 – Natural Science 5 – Technology 6 – Industrial 7 – Arts 8 – Language 9 – Literature The bookshelf is 9 meters tall. The bookshelf is a collection of storage and structure itself. There are 14 shelves only 7 shelves are actually in use. The rest of bookshelf needs it empty for earthquake protection and stepladder for access.

“If you fill up all the shelves, it is just a bookcase. But if you leave it part empty, it is full of potential.”

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Building Diagram The main floor is research floor and the second floor is study floor.

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Conclusion / Discussion Question

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Fujimoto’s Musashino Art University Library has a very strong concept which drives the whole project. However, studying the library in depth arose some questions below:

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Flexibility in terms of future library & circulation Accessibility Circulation strategy Structure & nature of its storage

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Bibliography / Appendix “https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/7488-musashino-art-university-museum-library” “https://www.dezeen.com/2011/05/12/musashino-art-university-libraryby-sou-fujimoto-architects/” “https://www.archdaily.com/145789/musashino-art-university-museum-library-sou-fujimoto” “http://203.241.185.12/asd/read.cgi?board=News&y_number=8116” (Korean) “https://www.instagram.com/p/BbUGHZxFJ6k/?taken-at=234676931” “https://bluesyemre.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/musashino-art-university-museum-library_06.jpg” “http://www.satoruito.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/skk_04.jpg” Book: Elcroquis 151, Sou Fujimoto, 2010 Book: Primitive Future, Sou Fujimoto Book: Sou Fujimoto, Architecture Works 1995-2015

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Bibliography / Appendix

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Appendix A. Narrow catwalk / Connection to elevator

Appendix B. Longitudinal section showing height of the bookshelf

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