Deichman Library, Oslo

From the outside, the sloping front and glass façade of the Deichman Library are particularly striking. What is truly outstanding, however, is that the building meets a passive house standard, with emissions 50% lower than those of similar buildings. This was achieved with the help of an innovative façade construction, a new type of ventilation system and seawater cooling, as well as the use of recycled materials. The sustainability concept extends to the toilet facilities: toilets from the Happy D.2 range and electronically controlled DuraStyle urinals from the designer bathroom manufacturer Duravit guarantee optimized water consumption, hygiene and short cleaning times.

Reference summary

Architect

Lund Hagem Architekter AS

Location

Oslo
Norway

Duravit series

Category

Public

Centrally located between Oslo Central Station and the Opera House in the Bjørvika district, Norway's library, designed by the architectural firm Lund Hagem Architekter AS in collaboration with Atelier Oslo, attracts millions of visitors every year. The building has 6 floors held up by 3 towers. This frees up the center of the building, creating an atrium. The open character, the elongated façade windows and the light wells ensure a daylight-flooded and inviting ambience with an unobstructed view of the fjord.

The library is accessed via three central entrances in the east, west and south. On the ground floor, the exterior space is continued inside, guiding visitors smoothly into the foyer. Diagonal light wells, which extend over all floors, additionally illuminate the entrance zones. The design is characterized by the continuous central library space. The other library rooms are located on the upper levels. The building also contains an auditorium, workshops, reading rooms, a movie theater, offices and various storage rooms.
The library is considered unique in its overall concept: in addition to the actual borrowing and reading of more than 400,000 books, concerts, trade fairs, workshops and a wide range of courses for all age groups are offered here, all year round. The restaurant and cafeteria with a roof terrace offer food, drinks and a cozy atmosphere in which to linger.

Deichmanske Library is one of Norway's largest and most venerable public libraries. It was founded in 1785 after the death of businessman and industrial pioneer Carl Deichman, who not only gave his name to the library but also bequeathed his collection of 6,000 books to the city and its inhabitants. These books still form the basis of the library today.