Is the Future of libraries and books is digital?
Architect Chiaki Arai set out to make the Akiha Ward Cultural Center in Niigata, Japan, a hub that reflects the vision of the community. That’s why Arai’s initial competition entry underwent countless transformations during a long series of workshops with locals before reaching its definitive form. The building features spiralling twists and turns and a complex concrete skeleton containing no fewer than 46 arcs.
Frame Magazine
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Here's a CGI rendering of the Stockholm Library and shows what kind of future we'd be able to expect. But truth to be told, can books and technology co-exist?
The New Stuttgart City Library (image via sinbadesign.com)
New Stuttgart City Library in Germany –
while it may look like a penitentiary by day (and a neon Rubik’s cube by night)
– is also very much about accessibility. Inside, the Escher-style staircases
that join the five levels and the funnel-shaped centre (modelled on the ancient
Pantheon) actually allow visitors to navigate around each floor with an exposed
view of the rest of the library.
Neko Design
The Ola bench takes street furniture to a new level. Designed by Mexican company Neko, and following eco-design strategies, Ola was originally designed for Fort Point in Boston, and was inspired by the maritime and industrial history of the city. Ola’s design is reminiscent of a body of water flowing above a bridge-like structure, symbolising the harmony of both manmade and natural elements, and is equally at home in urban or natural surroundings. Manufactured in powder-coated steel and recycled cast aluminium, the bench is highly durable and resistant to outdoor use while retaining a lightness and fluidity in its design.
Icon Magazine
