The Happy Bookworm

Jorge Luis Borges once said that he "[had] always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library."

I was doing my usual stalking of articles in ArchDaily when I stumbled upon an article discussing the new library of the University of Indonesia, and I must say, I was quite impressed.

Not only was it unusual for any building in Indonesia to be publicized on a major architecture site, it was even more unusual that this building was part of a university campus. I felt really behind on the new buildings back home when I realized that the building had been operating since May of 2011, though.


The structure was designed by architecture firm Denton Corker Marshall and was selected through an open design competition. Here's an excerpt describing the structure from ArchDaily:

"The circular landform is eroded on the lakeside opening up an amphitheatre with mature mahogany trees overlooking the lake. As well as identifying the main entry, this erosion allows light into the interior volume. The mound houses book stacks within five storeys, located on the outer edge of the circular plan. Beneath an insulating soil cover and concrete roof, rare manuscripts, books and research/reference materials are stored in a stable ambient temperature away from direct sunlight. Solid stone cladding and narrow bands of glazing further reduce heat gain, reducing the air conditioning load."

The building collects rainwater on site, recycles waste water and minimizes energy consumption by using the natural light and natural insulation provided by soil and stone, hence dealing with water scarcity and heating/cooling issues in the library complex. The greeneries also boast the maintenance of existing plants and vegetations, some of which are types that require minimum maintenance, hence reducing the need for watering, etc.

Compared to a lot of building standards back home, this sounds like a revolution.

Here are some more pictures from Kaskus user mikoo:

The interior boasts ceiling-high racks and ramps for vertical access.

The back of the building, showing the soil insulation and light holes for natural lighting.

I hear there's an ATM and a coffee shop in the building; how convenient. I don't dig how the atm sign completely does not fit in the design. Neon lights, seriously?

Maybe I should've followed my mom's advice to find a college nearer to home. This kind of beats our Pattee library on design, I mean, the stacks are creepy to sit around in alone at night. But hey, our reading rooms are hella comfy.