Page 103 - AIT0523_E-Paper

Entwurf • Design Níall McLaughlin, GB-London
Grundriss 1. Obergeschoss • Floor plan level +1
Längsschnitt • Longitudinal section
Bauherr • Client Magdalene College, GB-Cambridge
Standort • Location Chesterton Lane, GB-Cambridge
Nutzfläche • Floor space 1525 m 2
Fotos • Photos Nick Kane, GB-Kingston upon Thames
Mehr Infos auf Seite • More info on page 135
UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
IN CAMBRIDGE
The new library, designed by Níall McLaughlin Archi-
tects, is a well-placed new component of the Magdalene
College that interweaves with the campus both inter-
nally and externally through a differentiated spatial and
material network. Volume, structure, material and co-
lour scheme are a razor-sharp fit for this site and the al-
most 600-year history of this educational institution.
S ensitively positioned alongside a wall and within the existing en-
semble between the rather introverted Master’s Garden and the
more open Fellows’ Garden, the house appears as dignified as if it had
always been there. The architectural and spiritual origins of the campus
lie in a monastic complex of the Benedictine Order; the oldest building
of Magdalene College is now 400 years old. A clear and profound system
of order, based on twelve squares each measuring 4.70 by 4.70 metres
with a 1.30 metre wide network of paths in between, enables intuitive
orientation and creates surprising spatial freedom. The new library,
which is designed to last for an eternity, is a suite of interconnecting
rooms lined with bookcases, reading desks and galleries; here, one can
wander through the halls — as the scholars and monks once did — and
thus get one’s mind off things. In addition to a wide range of reading and
learning places, the building accommodates an archive and a picture
gallery. Elements familiar from the architectural heritage, such as the
chimneys or the typical gabled roof, along with tried-and-tested materi-
als, such as brick and wood, are incorporated, reinterpreted and mixed.
The three-dimensional network spirals towards the light, module by mo-
dule. On top of the three-storey units, which are square in plan, sits an
external glazed cross gable roof — reminiscent of a lantern— which brings
light deep into the building while balancing out sidelight and top light,
thus reducing glare. Consequently, the two-storey reading room, which
extends over two modules, exudes an almost sacred atmosphere inside
the building. Roof lights, columns, shelves, light baffles, windows, desks
and balustrades forming a coherent warp and weft throughout the space.
A three-dimensional wooden thread weaves through the room as if in a
fabric pattern. The system, both inside and out, is conceived holistically.
Thus, the chimneys located at the intersections are not only structurally
effective, but also provide fresh air through the ducts located inside
them. The building connects and reconciles, the inside with the outside,
yesterday with today, concentration with relaxation, matter with spirit.
Everything seems possible here — for all eternity.
AIT 5.2023 • 103