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University of Aberdeen Library

Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects, Aberdeen, 2011

 

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  • Site plan    
  • Ground floor plan    
  • Level two plan    
  • Level six plan    
  • Section A-A    
  • Section B-B    
  • South elevation    
  • West elevation    

Eight-storey University library, arranged around a full height free form atrium, set in a public square

The library closes the west end of a square that forms an east-west axis across the University campus. From the square a pedestrianised ramp, above an archive, conservation and storage space, leads to the library’s ground floor entrance.

On the ground floor a double height space, which is open to the public and contains a café, lounge exhibition, and conference space, is linked to above floors by a spiraling atrium that narrows towards the roof.

Above the public areas the seven stories of book storage and workspaces, wrapped around the central atrium, are reached by way of four glass lifts.

The building is clad with an irregular pattern of insulated panels and high performance glazing above a level of frameless glazing that gives the impression that the library cube is floating above the plinth.

Data

  • Begun: Sep 2009
  • Completed: Sep 2011
  • Floor area: 137,000m2
  • Sectors: Education, Civic
  • Total cost: £57M
  • Procurement: JCT standard form of contract (Scotland) with quantities (Traditional)
  • CO2 Emissions: 30kg/m2/year
  • Address: The University of Aberdeen, King's College, Aberdeen, AB24 3FX, United Kingdom

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