A clear mission to complete
The completely energy-neutral building design by the architect Common Affairs is part of a major inner-city redevelopment and resembles a mix between station and market hall. In addition to the library, the building houses the Heritage Center, the city archive, the House of Sustainability and a tourist information office. The includi team won the tender to develop the interior design of the new Alphen Centrum Library (the Netherlands) and partnered with MARS Interieurarchitecten for this task. The mission of the library organization needed to be reflected clearly in the interior design: to inspire and connect locals through developing their talents and stimulating personal growth.
"An intentionally imperfect layout creates a relatable, informal interior that feels personal."
The Nest
Children's section
Meeting the user’s needs
The spatial composition of the imposing staircase, the window frames and the columns, together with the ‘green’ character, as designed by Common Affairs, already formed a strong basis for the interior. However, the necessary depth to the interior concept was distilled from the relevant insights we gained from a series of workshops with the library team and local stakeholders. For example, the staircase in the heart of the building, together with the adjoining cabinet wall, forms a ‘green ribbon’ that connects the two and creates an organic floor plan. Within this plan are multiple ‘anchors’, like a reading café (KADE 10), an activity room that can be programmed by the library users, a historical archive, an e-lab (“De Maakplaats”) and an artwork called ‘The Nest’.
A forest of amazement
The library encourages casual connections and personal development. An intentionally imperfect layout creates a relatable, informal interior that feels personal. To enhance the green character of both the city and the sustainable building, many green accents and natural materials were used in the interior, creating a park-like character. A high dose of natural light invites people to explore this forest of amazement. The cabinets look like branches lying randomly in the room, the staircase is covered with a moss-green carpet. A wall of wood paneling with plenty of shelf space houses library facilities and open seating areas that welcome visitors to read, meet or engage in conversation. All of these unique elements make the new library a pleasant third place with an enhanced social role.
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Several walls and rugs have prints of leaves and stone.
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Various services are located in lockable wooden rooms or steel greenhouses. Materials like steel, zinc, terrazzo and ceramics are used on the terraces and incorporated into the furniture.
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The cabinets are all unusually designed and look like branches lying randomly in the room.
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