Competition

New Civic Library


Location Heidenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
Year 2013
Client Municipality of Heidenheim
Area / Volume 5000 m2
Architectural design DOIT Architetti Associati + Bureauhub Architecture
M.E.P. design Transsolar Energietechnik GmbH
Awards Finalist in second phase

The project area of the New Civic Library is located in the city center between the Town Hall and the Evangelical St Paul’s Church. The integration into the existing urban context and the important visual relationships determine the design choice. A compact volume north-south axis that frees the space in front of the building for a new public space extending the gardens of St Paul’s Church along the parallel to the river Brenz.The most representative activities, the auditorium and the large reading room are located on the main front of the building overlooking the new public square in direct visual contact with the city. The casing is characterized by a double façade system: a slight wavy curtain conceals the massive south facade. A rooftop garden gives to the city the view of the castle. It reformulates the concept of the library not only as a place where knowledge is preserved, but also as a place of discovery, communication and socialization.