Aberdeen University Library in Scotland

The University of Aberdeen in Scotland is receiving a new cultural landmark from Danish architect Schmidt Hammer Lassen. The £30m library is part of a £228m upgrade program over 10-years. It will contain 200,000 historic books and 4,000 archival collections.

A red steel sculpture that reminds me of Chicago gestures the visitor to a transparent white facade of half-hazard vertical members which glow at night. Inside, a large cubical atrium that showcases rare books connects the visitor to a cafe, reading room, or book stacks in the basement. The building is 10 stories in height.


The university's principal, Professor C Duncan Rice, said, "The practical case for the new library is stark, the architectural vision for it is a glittering one. The £57m library will stand as one of the most significant new Scottish public buildings of the last hundred years. An international landmark, it will echo the impact of ideas from Aberdeen in distant places. It will represent our past, present and future, our continuing role as intellectual pioneers, here at the northern frontiers of Europe. It will be a cultural icon of which not only our scholars and students but all of the people of Scotland can be proud." (BBC)

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