The umbrella organisation of the German library associations Bibliothek & Information Deutschland (BID) e.V. (Library and Information in Germany – Federal Union of German Library Associations) has awarded the Karl Preusker Medal 2021 to the Dutch architect, creative guide and author Aat Vos. The Federal Union pays tribute to Aat Vos for his innovative spatial concepts, which have helped libraries to make their mark on urban society as “third places”. The award ceremony will take place on 28 October 2021 in Ludwigshafen am Rhein and will be live-streamed starting at 4pm. The eulogy will be delivered by the author and lecturer B. Joseph Pine II from Columbia University. In their statement, the jury said that the pandemic had emphasized how important physical spaces were – and would continue to be in the future – in counteracting isolation in society. Good spatial design can transform libraries into urban marketplaces, enabling them to fulfil their important cultural remit as democratic spaces.

The fact that libraries in Germany are today almost automatically motivated to establish themselves as “third places” alongside people’s homes and places of work is largely due to the innovative projects of Aat Vos. In cooperation with the creative architect and interior designer, spaces have arisen in the urban environment based on a completely new concept of design and programming. The design is developed collaboratively with the library’s users and staff during an intensive design (thinking) process. “This turns the library itself into a learning organisation”, says BID president Dr Sabine Homilius. The first question to be answered is: “What motivates us, what effect should the library have, both on and for people?”… [Read more via the downloadable below]