Athenaeum [Lab]rary

Athenaeum [Lab]rary

Koutla, Virginia

Arvaniti, Garifalia

Athens, Greece

2014

005-LF-P024

Graduates of National Technical University of Athens

Professional

In the years to come the notion of libraries will change outright. They will no longer be perceived just as repositories of information but rather as “data platforms” within the city. These platforms should act as a representation of community space: a meeting point which applies to all and creates collaborative environment. The physical library as we know it will form the fundamental stone for the new digital library. The read-only environment will become an interactive one thus transforming the future library into an oversized laboratory. Its manufacturing process should incorporate green technologies and self-sufficiency methods. The future library should be an example of bridging the gaps.

The “New Athenaeum” transforms into a fluid landscape. The old surface rises and folds into space,  creating the essential binding catalyst between  combination  and division of the analog present  and the digital future.  The new surface undertakes the role of  an park-islet in the city while the invert underground surface forms the new entrance from the city reinforcing  the foundation process while the tower emerges as a welcoming beacon of the digital era.

On its own accord the underground space is shaped in an open manner into two different levels  and is accessible from the three different  points (city, tower, park). The vertical axis multiplies the surfaces of the laboratory spaces in between “small –gardens”. The new uplift of the Athenaeum  conforms with the height of the emerging city.

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