Kinderbibliothek Gütersloh

When Reinhard Mohn opened the City Library of Gütersloh in 1984, he not only wanted it to be a beautiful building but above all an accessible and social meeting place. His thought proved revolutionary for library architecture in Europe. Over the years, the interior aged. At the same time, the demand for a public, social place increased. In short: it was time for a thorough modernization. Because the smallest readers are the readers of the future, a start was made with the children’s library. This was the first piece of a larger puzzle: library visits as an experience.

Together with the City Library team, we set to work on the library’s positioning and identity. In doing so, we used psychologist Howard Gardner’s principles of multiple intelligence. These principles involve stimulating different forms of expression and learning to promote new skills and interests. During several intensive Design Workshops, we investigated how to make a library visit a truly memorable moment. The team then took a Design Thinking course with Julia Bergmann to gain deeper insight into their users.

The library takes children on a true journey of discovery through a wonderland. The bookshelves along the walls resemble a fairytale forest, colorful cocoons, bird nests and a lounging pool allow you to dream away, and the paint effects create endless depths. The interior design creates a seamless connection between indoors and outdoors, with galleries and play areas that spark the imagination.

The renovated children’s library not only serves as a flagship for Gütersloh, but also continues the city’s tradition of modern library architecture. All this makes Gütersloh’s children’s library a unique and inspiring place for young readers that creates a desire and curiosity for more.