The hospitable library of the future
Huis van Eemnes (The Netherlands) is a new culture house. It is an inspiring third place to meet, create and participate, where both organised and spontaneous activities take place.
08 Oct 2020
Photos by Jan de Vries
It presents a combination of profit and non-profit organisations under one roof, initiating fascinating collaborations and programming.
The House has an important core function for the village, combining two extremes: the peaceful surroundings of the library and the dynamics of the sports and culture centre. The interior, a co-creation of aatvos and MARS Interieurarchitecten, provides a bridge between these two apparent opposites. This cohesion is achieved by emphasising togetherness while carefully listening to the needs and wishes of residents.
A vibrant heart
Upon entering, you immediately arrive in the vibrant heart of the cultural centre. The pulse of combined functions is made possible by a spatial mix of the library, brasserie and bar. These entities are openly connected to each other and surrounded by multifunctional rooms, including a theatre hall and a large sports hall that can be divided into three rooms for events. A central grand staircase on top of a wooden stage breaks through the large, open entrance area. The staircase can be used for different purposes and features physical enclaves on either side for studying, sports and games.
The library collection is found throughout various places in the House thanks to a bookcase that partially envelops the walls of different floors. The bookcase is a wooden construction, partly combined with metal, for which the parcelled polder landscape of Eemnes was a source of inspiration. The case stretches upwards and thus connects the rooms on the ground floor as well as the different floors.
“By creating Huis van Eemnes, we’ve developed the hospitable library of the future together with aatvos and MARS Interieurarchitecten. The combination of functions that we can create here is of great added value to our work. Our customers can find everything here to give shape, colour and content to their lives with activities for everyone,” says Marian Buvelôt, library director.