Libraries are constantly reinventing themselves as spaces and experiences that they give people. They began as spaces for organizing and preserving resources. More recently libraries have been serving as community centers and Social incubators. Libraries of today have proven to us that knowledge isn’t only about informational offerings, but the experience of learning, interaction and ex- change. Libraries are now an open platform for the development of knowledge and community. Today’s library acts as a platform, a facilitator for public gatherings and multi use spaces. With these new activities come new spatial requirements; and this library emphasizes on the maker space as an integral part of the design. Not only does it create a communal atmosphere but also allows for the future digitizing of the library.

The new Songdo International Library will be a place where people learn, meet and interact. A place for people to rein- vent and reimagine. A place for curiosity and collaboration. The building represents a civic sculpture for knowledge, serving as a beacon for education and culture. The Library will stand as a symbol for the progressing city of Songdo, and an integral part of Korean heritage.

The intent of the new Songdo International Library is to create a paradoxical experience of silence and vibrancy. This philosophy is in itself rooted in Korean tradition. The silence that is in the religion and the loudness that is in the contemporary culture. The yin and yang in the flag, the darkness and lightness in the architecture. The sculpture like building is silent yet intriguing. It’s a magnet for the city, constantly inviting people in. It is a point of attraction, a node of vibrancy for the people, acting as a lantern to the city of Songdo.

The library compliments the green layer of Songdo by introducing a vibrant node within its network of parks. The design of the building takes up a triangular form that opens to a
public plaza. The mass is cracked at the entrance to allow for fluid circulation through the library and into the plaza, which is open to the main streets and the green buffer zone, making it accessible to all. The journey into the library starts at the cracked entrance, continues up a network of intertwining ramps, taking the user through various levels and functions, and ends at the garden terrace that celebrates the view of the Yellow Sea.