Central Library Justus-Liebig-University

As the heart and soul of the new Philosophikum, the Central Library for Justus Liebig University in Giessen will stand directly on Campusplatz together with Seminar Building I, likewise designed by Max Dudler. Offering a variety of communicative spaces and a ground-floor cafeteria, the Central Library caters for the increasingly social function now performed by libraries. The architecture also reflects the fact that, with knowledge expanding all the time, any library as an “information warehouse” can only be part of a bigger whole. Different uses fit flexibly into a uniform web of pillars that cocoon spaces, a structure that could in theory be extended ad infinitum. Library life can unfold freely in the clearly articulated areas around the pillars. The cascading stairway that leads through the library from Campusplatz is a defining feature. It is framed by spacious atria reaching deep inside the building. The interplay between open transparency and shielded, more private zones is mirrored in the façade, a perforated sheath that veils the upper levels like a protective curtain interspersed with broad windows.