Project Description
The University of Aberdeen New Library in Scotland, a 15,500 m² landmark, opened to the public in 2011. The university, established in 1495, is the fifth oldest English-language university in the world. In 2005, schmidt hammer lassen architects won the international competition to design the new university library to replace the existing Queen Mother Library. The new library was designed to reinforce the reputation of the university as an important academic institution, as a place of research, learning and teaching. The 15,500 square metres of floor space host over a quarter of a million books, maps and manuscripts, as well as 1,200 reader spaces, equipped with cutting edge technologies. In addition, there are special libraries and archives offer historical collections, connected to a secure reading room for rare books. The new library serves a community of over 16,000 students. It represents an exciting embodiment of the library of the future: open, multifunctional and accessible. It is both a meeting place and a cultural centre for the university and the wider Aberdeen community, offering public spaces, exhibitions and events.
