The Deichman library will take part in transforming Bjørvika into a lively and vi- brant city area by the fjord. The library will in combination with the opera and the new Munch museum become a central attraction in this exciting development that eventually will hold a varied combination of residential, commercial, recreational and main cultural attractions of Oslo city.

Under current conditions, this site is an epicenter that connects the urban center with the fjord. And the competition is not only highly challenging but also a fantas- tic and unique opportunity to control and work with so many important factors in one collective development, at such a central location of the city. Our project tries innovatively to create the best synergy between the challenges and potentials of the brief.

We seek a concept of a library that is most worthy of its context in the Fjord City as we also take into account the Oslo identity as an environmental city.

With its fantastic location in relation to the city, the opera and the water, the site requires consideration of many different physical elements. Naturally it is our ambition to create a new main library that will be an important target point in the area. A library which by virtue of its functional and architectural quality will hold the position it deserves in the capital. However it is also our ambition to create a building that plays a central role in creating a qulitative urban area where the already excisting iconic opera maintains the space and position it deserves. The Deichman library should be an integrated part of its urban environment, holding a close and synergetic relationship with the adjacent opera, the streets and the commons. We want to create a significant building that has the presence of an important target point in the area and at the same time, not only breaks down the surrounding scale and offers intimate human-scale spaces but also creates a calm backdrop and a close relationship to the adjacent iconic opera.

Deichman library is an institution with many ambitions and new ways of organising a modern library. We want to explore how a modern library can become extremely integrated with the city and its other programmes. We wish to maximise the po- tential, of one integrated and collective development by combining the library with the commercial program in a way that is not only a formal gesture, but truly a new and unique experience for a city library

This project not only needs an extremely flexible interiour of the library, it also needs a flexibility in the overall concept. Only by involving the current actors, fu- ture users and relevant experts from the city in the further development and leav- ing space for them to develop the qualities in our concept, will we be able to cre- ate an urban area and a library which will be vital and engaging also in 50 years. The needed flexibility calls for a concept which combines flexibility and simplicity in a way in which it is able to absorb the changes, in the further development, without loosing its initial qualities.

 

Currently, Olso presents itself as an advanced environmental city that took the early initiative to adopt an environmental vision by conserving the ecosystem and developing sustainable energy systems.

In the measure called “Urban Ecology Program,” the ecological conservation is promoted under the keywords of green and blue through such environmental programs as regeneration of forests and cleaning of lakes, rivers and bays. In the contemporary society shifting gradually from capitalism to environmentalism, we think it is a paramount issue how we, architects, relate environment and architecture. Through this project, we focused on the issue of what kind of library is necessary for the environmental city of Oslo.

The Fjord City masterplan consists of residential, recreational and cultural facilities partially under construction right now in a bay area that used to be a former industrial area. Along with this Fjord City masterplan, the focus of our design lays in how to connect inland urban area with the fjord. Under current conditions, this site we are given is an epicenter to connect the urban center with the fjord. Moreover, this site positioned in between Oslo’s new symbol, the opera house, and the rail-way station is a locality of great interest for us was it addresses how to create relationships with the opera house, railway station and both simultaneously.

We seek a library that is most worthy of its context in the Fjord City as we take into account that Oslo is an environmental city.

We propose a gorge-like space imagined from the blue Fjord. The scenery of natural light shining into the valley, and reflecting on the complex convexo-concave surfaces, has an inherent quality that can only exist in a library in Oslo.

The perpendicularly running valley of various hues of blue is a new space created in the city. This space creates a new function for the city opposite the public space of the white opera house that spreads horizontally.

In addition, this valley is certain to become a new landmark for the city

In this project, we believe that a massive construction that creates large dark corners and shadows is not appropriate for this city. This library provides quality spaces for the city through fissures that occur in the valley: a gaze through the breadth of the valley without anything impeding the field of vision; a path that eases the flows of people and winds; an atrium that brings light deep into the earth.

The library can be seen behind the opera house from a ship headed for the bay. The white opera house will appear beautifully accentuated by the background of azures and vegetation of this library.

What is more, the intentions behind making this library into a backdrop is applied to other surrounding buildings as well. The concept is rooted in engendering relationships with its milieu, with the railway station and library, surrounding architecture and library.

The vegetation represents the “green” in the Urban Ecology Program. The trees planted throughout the valley convey an image as a place that exists between architecture and nature. We believe this form that is in-between architecture and nature. will energize the city and people that lives in it. Consequently, this building is befitting for Oslo that declared an environmental vision.

Trees are planted on various levels, from the ground level to the rooftop. These trees will become buffers for the library and immediate surroundings by filtering the gazes, and gently receiving the wind from the sea and rain from the sky.

We believe that the presence and atmosphere of the library is very important to us as a receiving vessel for the vast knowledge and history. The sublime scenery of sky and light that enters from above the perpendicular valley creates the interior atmosphere. Dissimilar to sublimity created by architectural styles, this library proposes a style that generates sublimity through the spatial proportion of a valley.

Diverse array of external spaces are created by randomly stratifying boxes of diverse shapes and sizes. For example, the shapes and sizes of terraces, incidence angles of light, and chiaroscuro.

The library and other public functions are organized in the lower levels as full floors spanning from Operaallmenningen to Akerselva. Office spaces, hotel rooms and housing are placed on top of these functions. This composition enables the library to become a very visible and integrated part of the surrounding urban area, and attracts more people by connecting to both public plazas. The organization creates close relationships between the public functions of the base and the library. The value of commercial areas is optimized by placing them higher, offering views, additional natural light exposure and privacy.

Our project proposes a marriage, which not only optimizes the synergy between different programs, but also secures the commercial value of the property. We propose to literally wrap the library in commercial programs, letting the atrium become a fantastic collective spatial

experience for all users.

The main library floor is elevated to 6 meters above ground floor leaving space for commercial programs on street level and elevating the library over the road between site A8 and A9 in a continious floor.

This library spreads horizontally to decrease the vertical circulation, and effectively provides a universal accessible space as public cultural institution with little obstacles.

Library occupies the 1st, 2nd and 3rd floors. Commercial spaces occupy the 1st, 4th through 8th floors. The composition of the library that is placed in the lower portion within the site positions it as a main space in spite of less required floor area in comparison to commercial spaces. Furthermore, by beginning the valley level from library’s second level, the visitors can experience the valley in its entirety.

Retail spaces are positioned at the ground level and top level that have great commercial value. Ground level has enhanced commercial value by creating a promenade through the building and thereby increasing the exposure surfaces.

The functions of the library which has a commercial character and could be open outside library hours for external use are located on the ground floor. From these functions visitors have direct access to the valley. This would enable double use and attract new and alternative users to the library.

The valley holds the main collection and its linked functions. Only 3 meters underneath the open storage and the limited collection is placed. This will make the open storage very easily accessible for the users of the library. The closed storage is placed in -1 well connected to the internal flow.

The sides of the valley function as two commercial slabs that could hold various programs such as hotel, offices, studios, apartments. The slabs are cut, shifted and given different depth varying from 13-18 meters.

Site Plan The promenade as a grand urban gesture - We suggest that the whole site be considered as a part of the harbour promenade connecting all the attractive spaces along the waterfront in the inner parts of Oslo.

By considering the site as part of the promenade, the commons Operaallmenningen and Akerselva improve their connection, and the visitor would experience entering the landscape of the harbour once crossing Nylands Allé. The entrance plazas of the opera and the library will be experienced as one public continuous area and the urban spaces from the central station to the fjord will be linked together.

This underlines the public nature and the synergetic connection of the opera and the library, increases the commercial potential of the site and makes it possible to create a floating connection between outdoor areas and indoor functions, connecting the two long facades of the building.

By reducing the building zone to the south and creating a more dynamic facade here, the car-free zone is extended and new local spaces are created, supporting the attractiveness of the sunny facade where cafés and other public functions can support the life of the promenade.

Car traffic is maintained, but the surface of the promenade continues

across Operagata, indicating a priority to pedestrians. The road is simply indicated by a series of bollards or low light sculptures that create a safe and visible distinction between the vulnerable and motor traffic. By changing the status of Operagate, cars are expected to drive slower and some of the trough traffic is expected to choose Nylands Allé instead.

Operagata still has an important function as access to the basement parking, both under the new development in connection with the library and north of Nylands Allé. The road crossing the site is thus maintained, with the new building bridging the road, creating a more integrated urban condition which again lowers the speed of car traffic.

While the planting is kept in the form of an avenue north of the building along Nylands Allé, as indicated in the program, the vegetation is more dissolved in the southern zone emphasizing the distinction between the “traffic machine” to the north and the recreational zone connected with the promenade to the south. The trees on the southern facade are further integrated as part of the roofing of the building.
Engraved lines within the continuous pavement marks informal functional zones and create a compositional relation to the library
By offering good places to stay at stairs and niches, encouraging informal activity and creating cafés, shops, associations, foyers and
library related public accessible functions at street level, we seek to create an active and lively frontage with both visual and easy accessible connections to the entire library.
The sight axis from the corner of Østbanehallen to the breakpoint at the roof of the Opera, are kept entirely free of program in order to make it possible to experience the full build up of the opera entrance. Within the sightline, the front stair will mark the central entrance to the library creating a formal relation between the two public buildings.

Libraries are no longer cathedrals for books, but open and ever-changing spaces of sharing, experiencing, developing and collecting both physical and digital knowledge. However the library is and will remain an important social and cultural institution. This space should be an integrated part of the city in order to address and provide a beautiful and inspiring framework for all groups of the society to interact and exchange knowledge.

The librarians will be navigators - guides for the public to be able to navigate through the extensive amount of information. The interior facades of the boxes will provide users information making it very easy to navigate as you move through the valley .

The librarian is no longer thought of merely as a person who handles books. They will become cultural and educational advisors that interact with the users of the library to facilitate and organize various events.

The library is no longer an institution, but a public network created by users and facilitated by librarians. Our building is no longer a library of floors and rooms, but a network of landscapes integrated with the urban milieu.

The library is no longer merely to be a distributor of knowledge, but a mediator of knowledge, culture and experiences; a public space that connects and educates all its users.

By combining a series of different scales, the building juxtaposes the scale of its industrial surroundings and offers a human scale. This will not only create attractive and lively urban spaces, but will also offer an innovative alternative to the large- scale and majestic spaces of the opera. The North facade facing the Dronning Eufemias Gate has elements that are less undulating. On the South facade, the elements of the building are more variegated to create a series of terraces. Multitude of Birch trees are planted on these terraces, thereby creating a calm and green backdrop for the adjacent opera-house.

The façades are modeled in order to enhance the availability and quality of daylight in the building. The large façade elements with glass are oriented south and north, where daylight can be harvested with possibility of control of glare and solar gains. The glazed areas of the cracks in the top and the sides of the valley, will allow considerably amount of daylight penetration though the central atrium. In connection with the use of a daylight controlled artificial lighting system, this will effectively reduce the significant energy consumption for artificial lighting.

On the southern façade, the terraces with trees will create an outer boundary toward the sea and Operaallmeningen. The trees will provide solar and wind protection for parts of the façade. On the foremost part of the façade, photovoltaic panels will be placed in order to prevent overheating and at the same time supply electricity. The green roofs and rainwater harvesting for recycling will, apart from reducing the need for drainage at the site, also reduce the need of water for grey and black-water usage
On the top floors, parts of the facades can be opened towards the terraces, extending the room, making the indoor climate one with the outdoor climate in periods with warm weather.

The valley works as a main city street, creating a vibrant and continuous urbanity connecting the Operaallmeningen to Akerselva. It is a dynamic space filled with flows and activities that address the library in its entirety. The valley contains the general functions in the library such as: distributed PC workstations, cloakrooms placed on both ends of the valley, distributed visitor lavatories, signage giving directions to the media and other sections of the building, distributed lounges to relax and people watch, self-collection, checkout and return-stations placed close to two exits at each end of the building.

Energy and sustainability

The concepts of sustainability in various forms have been embedded in the design, function, shape and surroundings of The Deichmanske Valley. The building has been designed with focus on reducing the energy demand for heating, ventilation and artificial lighting by methods such as a compact building design, a well insulated and airtight building envelope, division and flexibility in volumes and the usage of passive solar gains, daylight and energy efficient technologies.

Integrated design process A sustainable and healthy building with a minimum of the energy consumption and CO2 emissions can be achieved through an integrated design process. The integrated design process includes multidisciplinary collaboration and workshops with participation of key stakeholders, design professionals and the users. In the design process evaluation of design variables are investigated with regard to architecture, functionality, and environmental issues such as resources, indoor climate and energy consumption. In order to secure a cost effective design strategy with focus on all of the above mentioned parameters, an

integrated design process have been and will continue to be used onwards in the project. The integrated design process includes multidisciplinary collaboration, use of project web for sharing project details, workshops and inclusion and participation of key stakeholders, design professionals and the users in the design process. 3D simulations tools will be used to take into account a wide range of design variables and predict how the building will perform and will form the basis for evaluating installation cost vs. running cost for all elements of the building.

This allows for the architect and the engineer to work close together and makes it possible at every point of the design process to evaluate the detailing of the design. The mentioned initial workshops will activate the different users of the building. At this stage the 3D techniques allows to “move around” inside and outside the buildings in “real time”, change materials etc. within defined parameters ex. taking the cost calculation into consideration. Physical models illustrate the design and can be a tool to work with the precise “massing” of the project. Throughout the development of all stages of the

When compared to larger boxes, smaller boxes can bring in more natural light into deeper parts of spaces since the distance to openings are short.

Library and Storage areas level -2 and -1

Air quality, temperature and humidity are controlled by passive regulation methods, such as thermal mass combined with a high efficient and demand driven ventilation system. The climatisation and ventilation system are divided into independent zones according to building volumes in order to accommodate different climatisation demands and expectations.

Atrium and Public areas Climate control in these areas is implemented in accordance to the actual demands and expectations for the different environments. Within the different climatisation zones it is accepted that temperature varies within the boundary of thermal comfort.