Open architecture, creative computing, digital technologies and local culture: Oslo library is the best in the world
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The Deichman Bjørvika Library in Oslo was named the world’s best new public library. The annual award is given to a library in any country in the world that has excelled in combining open and functional architecture with creative computing solutions while involving digital technologies and local culture.
The Public Library of the Year Award is presented annually by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) in collaboration with Danish software company Systematic A / S, which also sponsors the award with a prize of USD 5,000. . This year 32 libraries competed for the award, five were nominated and the winner, Deichman Bjørvika in Oslo, was announced on August 19 at the IFLA World Library and International Congress, where the IFLA President , Christine Mackenzie, presented the award. The other finalists were the libraries of Ningbo, Sydney, Mechelen and Groningen.
Deichman Bjørvika has 13,500 square meters of floor space spread over six floors which are all dedicated to different types of learning.
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The library has around 450,000 different documents, most of which is available to borrowers through a self-service system.
The first floor is the busiest, with a restaurant, cafe, information desk, and fully integrated ATMs. The lower floor houses a cinema and an auditorium.
The second floor is designed for young children, who can listen, read and have fun in the magic dungeons and the playroom. The third floor is home to âthe people’s workshop,â where it’s possible to engage in creative pursuits with everything from 3D printers and sewing machines to music and sound studios.
Everything becomes quieter as you move upward in the library. The fourth and fifth floors are furnished with reading and study rooms, tiled floors and classrooms, and where, in addition to quiet contemplation, it is possible to enjoy the magnificent view over the fjord of ‘Oslo and the city.
In Oslo it all started with an endowment of 6,000 books in 1785. Today Deichman Bjørvika in Oslo has been named the best new public library in the world. When Norwegian Chancellor and businessman Carl Deichman bequeathed his collection of 6,000 books to the citizens of Christiania (now Oslo) in 1785, he could hardly have imagined that – 216 years later – his legacy would have become a unique public library on six stories centered around an automatic book sorting system. If he had lived today, he would have been delighted to see his legacy become the foundation for the world’s best new public library in 2021.
Regarding the choice of Deichman Bjørvika, jury president Jakob Lærkes said:
âThe Public Library of the Year Award aims to honor models, and the winning library – Deichman Bjørvika – is a shining example. A magnificent and impressive building that serves as a beacon for future library buildings. Deichman Bjørvika more than lived up to the award criteria, and the international jury was particularly impressed with how the building combines environmental awareness and architectural flair. The library is a new paradise for books and reading while integrating advanced technological solutions. Deichman Bjørvika shows how libraries can function as institutions that bring people together in towns, cities and local communities.
“More than an architectural gem”
The modern library also caught the eye of Systematic, which sponsored the award. Martin Brøchner-Mortensen, Group Senior Vice President and Representative of Systematic, was both proud and happy to support the development of the libraries of the future:
âDeichman Bjørvika is more than just an architectural gem in the Norwegian capital. It’s a smart design, which revolves around a fully automatic book sorting system that allows employees to spend their time serving citizens rather than just handling books. Libraries are important to our company, and at Systematic we take great pride in providing IT solutions to our over one million library users.
The building is located on the port of Oslo between Oslo Central Station and the Oslo Opera House. The library was designed by two collaborating architectural firms Atelier Oslo and Lund Hagem, who were commissioned to design a building that would inspire visitors to explore all of the new facilities and activities on offer.
Santi Romero Garuz, member of the jury and responsible for the architecture of the library at the Diputació de Barcelona, ââSpain, underlines the high degree of user-friendliness and the future prospects of the building as two of the main reasons why Deichman Bjørvika was selected as the winner.
âBeyond its spectacular design housing modern technological solutions, the choice of materials, energy solutions and multifunctional rooms bear witness to the fact that the library was built with a concern for sustainability – and for the future,â he said. -he declares.
“Politicians in Oslo who understood the importance of the library and made it a priority”
Knut Skansen, director of Deichman Bjørvika library, is honored that his library is the recipient of the 2021 Public Library of the Year award and said:
âThis award is the ultimate proof that the city of Oslo has provided its citizens with a world-class master library. Deichman Bjørvika is the crowning achievement of a comprehensive and sustained effort to develop libraries in Oslo, and today I would especially like to thank all my colleagues who have worked so hard to achieve this goal for so long, as well as all politicians. from Oslo who understood the importance of the library and made it a priority. This award recognizes all that they and the city of Oslo have done for the people of the Norwegian capital. Both as the director of the library and as a citizen of Oslo, that makes me extremely proud.
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