28 March 2008
Krefeld Mediothek opens
A Uniquely Flowing Space
The Mediothek in Krefeld was handed over to the client in
the New Year, on time and on budget and will be officially opened tomorrow. The
city of Krefeld
will introduce this extraordinary building to its citizens by means of an Open
Day.
The design for this library, the only one of its kind in Germany, comes from HPP Architects in Düsseldorf working in
cooperation with the architect db Dieter Berten of Krefeld. Their concept for a
continual, flowing space won the competition organised by the city of Krefeld in 2002 for the redesign
of the Theaterplatz. In 2004 the team was commissioned to design the new
Mediothek to replace the old State Library.
The architecture of the new Mediothek is a playful representation of the
omnipresence of the media, the global exchange of information and most
importantly, the rapid availability of information in the age of the internet. HPP
and Berten’s design is the logical, poetic response to the requirements and
demands that the media place on us. The centre can be navigated simply and
straightforwardly, enabling users to reach their goal quickly. This
compares well to the way in which modern life is full of networks and free of
boundaries and encourages one to stay, explore, discover and learn.
