Milan hosts a European Library of Information and Culture
The project focuses on the construction of the building as well as that of the library and digital heritage: two fundamental elements that stand out what will be a new ” European cultural center», in the words of the president of the Beic Foundation, Francesco Paolo Tronca.
An all-Italian project
44 projects participated in an international competition and the winner is an Italian project led by architect Angelo Raffaele Lunati (group leader at Onsitestudio) accompanied by his colleagues Paolo Tamburelli and Francesca Benedetto.
Francesco Paolo Tronca is delighted : “ This time we succeeded: Milan will be able to manage the library in the best possible way so that this project can become a European cultural hub serving as a catalyst for other library systems. »
The importance of the natural element
The library will house 25 million books, also available digitally. But that’s not all. One of the main assets of the architectural design is the presence of the natural element, vegetal in particular.
As Angelo Raffaele Lunati explained toCorriere della Sera“the building is a large double greenhouse in which the natural element of the park of Porta Vittoria“colonize”several spaces and make indoors and outdoors coexist harmoniously“. A large part of the 30,000 square meters will indeed be devoted to a square lined with trees.
As for the building, its structure is very reminiscent of that of the Feltrinelli Foundation (belonging to the Feltrinelli publishing house and located in Viale Pasubio, still in Milan): two naves, in steel and glass, 33 meters high. The structure, inside, will also include wooden elements.
The Promenade and The Forum
To enter, you will have to take a walk – also called in Italian the Promenade – which leads to a very spacious rectangular hall, with exhibition spaces, a cafeteria and pavilions for the restitution of volumes.
After this first hall, the real entrance to the library, which has six floors (the book deposit, in the basement, will be entirely robotized). Other pavilions will consist of the Imaginarium (a space reserved for children) and the Auditorium (for public events, concerts, conferences).
The space dedicated to the consultation of books, called Forum, will be accompanied by the creation of Departments with documentary sections divided by subject, collections, as well as a reading room open all day.
photo credits: Fondazione BEIC