Place
Utrecht
Type
Library
Completed
2023
Client
City of Utrecht
Floor area
2,600 m²
A neighbourhood library with a reading garden on the roof, completed in 2023.
The brief
Lindenhof lost its library in 2012. The city wanted it back, on a small corner plot between a school and a row of shops.
The design
The plot was too small for a garden, so we put the garden on the roof. It is open whenever the library is. Below it, one large reading room in light timber holds the books, a children’s corner and a long table for homework.
The main stair is wide enough to sit on. On Saturdays it is used for readings.
The result
In its first year the library had 140,000 visits, twice what the city expected.
From drawing to building
Drag across the image to compare the drawing with the finished building.
