Dokk1 in Aarhus, Denmark, was announced the Public Library of the Year at a prestigious ceremony during the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) congress in Columbus, Ohio. The international panel of judges recognised Dokk1 as a true library of the future that embraces new digital developments, user demands, local culture, and a desire to accommodate diverse population groups within an open and functional architectural expression.
Dokk1 triumphed over libraries from Australia and the United States, becoming the third public library to receive the international prize awarded by the Danish Agency for Culture and Palaces as a part of the Model Programme for Public Libraries.
“Dokk1 is a covered urban square – an undulating landscape that facilitates learning, knowledge sharing, innovation and a sense of community,” says Senior Partner Kim Holst Jensen, Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects. “Our goal has been to create a stimulating and dynamic environment at this unique location that fosters valuable and meaningful relationships between people; a cultural centre that everyone can see themselves in. Architecture, with all its supporting disciplines has served to fulfil this greater ambition and we have been overwhelmed by how the people of Aarhus have embraced Dokk1 since opening day”, says Senior Partner Kim Holst Jensen, Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects.”
Project Information:
Architects : Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects
Location: Dokk 1, Nordhavnsgade 2, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
Client :PartnerRealdania
Area: 35600.0 sqm
Project Year :2015
Photographs: Adam Mørk