Pispala is a unique location where the gradation of the land falls to frame lakes and woodlands around the base of the site. Few opportunities exist within Tampere where one can witness this perspective of the lay of the land and observe the discourse between city and nature.
My intention is to use the familiar typology of a library to not only react to the surrounding context but create an interplay between exterior and interior. The austere tectonic of the concrete block gives little away to the inner arrangements nor to the unique juxtaposition of views that are created within. After entering the lobby, a warm timber lining envelopes the occupants and enhances the sense of enclosure. The ground floor divides the library from the social spaces and allows the two to work independently.
Reading and study spaces receive ample of north light whilst the circulation and café make use of south light. The window is the focus of the rooms. It is the liminal element that ties together the landscape from the hearth and in so doing maintains the necessary tension of the two elements.
Therefore the library, through the careful choreography of views and spaces, avoids grand gestural openings but rather enhances particular moments of the landscape to give the citizens of Pispala a renewed perspective of their home.