Heilbronn City Library Gets Contemporary Update

The Heilbronn City Library is an important part of the lively cultural and shopping centre Theaterforum K3, a building complex dating back to 2001 with a cinema, theatre, university and other institutions and companies. The municipal authorities decided to restructure the outdated library rooms and give them a contemporary look with a high sojourn quality through functional zoning and a variety of uses. After around two years of restructuring and refurbishment, a distinctive venue has been created that provides space for communication, interaction and intergenerational learning.

The design concept meets today’s requirements regarding the conveying of knowledge and hybrid usage possibilities. On around 3,500 square metres spread over two floors, DIA has created retreats, communal zones, areas for multimedia learning and events, as well as office and meeting rooms. An integrated children’s and youth area with an online programme, games and magazines is an exciting space for the whole family – and bridges digital and analogue worlds. The library fulfils an important social and cultural function by providing a platform for interaction and networking for the wider public.

When planning the project, it was important to DIA to involve all project participants in the design process from the outset. This collaborative partnership and the use of BIM planning tools ultimately led to a needs-orientated design that ensures long-term usage.

The city library can be accessed via the ground floor inside the K3 mall. To the left of the entrance area you will find the returns area, the pay machine, pushchair parking spaces and lockers. Opposite is the information desk with a lending facility as the first point of contact for visitors.

The centrepiece of the concept is a stairway that creates a formal, direct relationship between the library floors and combines a variety of usage scenarios. On the ground floor, it offers a framework for posters, flyers, a signage system and an information screen, while on the upper floor it forms a large atrium and is at the same time the rear wall of the 340-square-metre children’s area. Integrated reading and playing niches, which evoke tree houses, open up interesting visual axes to the ground floor. In addition to seating, the latter provides space for readings, film screenings or workshops and allows visitors to experience the library landscape in new ways every time. The area can also be partitioned off with a curtain and used for events for up to 50 people. An integrated screen enables multimedia presentations.

Visitors to the library are guided to the various areas by dynamic signage that actively invites discovery. The individual theme worlds are designed with flowing transitions between them, creating an interplay of open and closed user areas. Room-in-room situations make additional functions possible, such as a music and podcast studio or office and group rooms.

A spacious reading room with a lounge character acts as an extension of the venue and, as a “window to the city”, invites people to spend time here and attend events and workshops. It offers 220 square metres of space for 100 people and can be used independently, as access to the café bar and sanitary facilities is ensured even without using the library.

The starting point for the design concept is the evolving reading and communication culture, as well as the aim of meeting the requirements of a variety of user groups in the long term. Education, reading and intercultural interaction will be anchored as a positive experience and the city library with its contemporary look will move forwards into the coming decades as a place of interaction and encounter.

DIA finds a creative answer by using partitioning elements, functional walls and digital media to enable flexible usages and a variety of atmospheric qualities. The staircase as a communicative centre fosters social togetherness and intergenerational interaction, while room-in-room cubes and semi-open lounge areas offer a focused learning and reading atmosphere for those seeking peace and quiet. Multimedia technologies such as AV media, CDs and docking stations with headphones enable new perspectives and usage options, thereby extending the cross-media experience for visitors.

The design concept makes use of a timeless palette of materials and colours, as well as durable materials. A dark grey, hard-wearing floor covering is used in the most highly frequented areas, such as the entrance area on the ground floor. The main areas of the library have an acoustically effective floor covering made of carpet tiles, creating a pleasant and quiet atmosphere. Within the individual areas, the spatial configurations can be changed and adapted to new requirements as needed without major structural work, as only the key elements are permanently installed.

The furniture and upholstery fabrics were implemented in two contrasting colours: a calm petrol, which characterises the functional walls, and a fresh red-orange, which features as an accent colour. To ensure a long lifecycle for the city library, only the interchangeable modules feature the accent colours, while the large surfaces and permanently installed modules were realised in timeless nuances. Partially white wall and ceiling surfaces and the warm colour tone of the maple wood ensure brightness and a natural atmosphere.

The walkways are harmoniously integrated into the design concept and are set off in a lighter grey. The signage system consists of a high-contrast type face. Braille and pictograms ensure orientation in an intercultural and barrier-free context, as well as for children.

Uniform ambient lighting ensures a friendly, inviting interior. The illumination of the bookshelves is assured by a clear grid of suspended tracks, on which individual spotlights can be positioned as required, allowing the lighting to be flexibly adapted to the respective furnishing. Individual usages, such as the information stands or reading areas, are fitted with customised accent lighting in the form of pendant luminaires or reading lights. This reinforces the zoning of the areas. This creates a feel-good ambience.

The city library has become a place with a strong identity that stands for lifelong learning, high-quality information sources and personal interaction. With a contemporary design, Dittel Architekten have found an answer to today’s requirements when it comes to learning and intercultural interaction. They have created a venue that invites you to linger and browse in a cosy atmosphere.