guarnieri architects‘ proposal for the ‘national library of the czech republic’ consists of two distinct entities: a combination of book stacks and offices, and a volume containing public spaces. a ‘waffle’ serves as a means of storage and collection management while a transparent plinth accommodates consultation rooms and lounge areas for visitors. this organization allows the assemblage of publications, catalogues, and dining services to appear as a communal complex that systematically situates environmentally efficient mechanisms wherever they are necessary. in addition, the inertia of the mass stabilizes the internal temperature cycle throughout the year with no active heating or cooling.
the distorted grid allows natural light and air to reach all levels, especially the public floors at ground level. here, it is supported by ten diamond-like structural cores within which the vertical circulation of people, goods, and documents within the library is organized. meanwhile, the podium containing the civic programs of the institution is a completely glazed construct of transparency that enables a visual relationship to be developed with the surrounding landscape. up above, the fa?ades are wrapped in a skin of translucent and reflective scales that create a microcosmic pattern of the overall form.
