Description
A state-of-the-art white structure with an extensive array of curving blades, walkways and a rooftop pod-like pavilion, the National Library is the symbol of a present-day Singapore that has emerged as the world’s fourth leading financial center. Selected from a competition, T. R. Hamzah & Yeang’s design is a response to the government’s initiative in 2000 to “lay the foundations for a 21st century knowledge based economy” enhanced by the advancement of technology.
The new library replaced a much-loved colonial brick building that embodied the history of the library system in Singapore, a history that parallels the evolution of Singapore from colonialism to sovereign city-state. Initially a part of Singapore’s 19th century educational system, the institution of the library progressed from a subscription library to that of library/museum, before becoming a free library for all Singapore citizens through an ordinance of 1957. Named the National Library, it is differentiated from Singapore’s public libraries by its mission as the “nation’s knowledge institution, preserving its cultural and literary heritage as well as providing trusted reference services.”
This mission is architecturally realized in the form of two large 16-story volumes, one rectangular and one curved. Architects T. R. Hamzah & Yeang describe this strategy as a “juxtaposition of formality and asymmetry” in which the differentiation of the volumes is coordinated with the various program elements. The rectilinear block houses the reading rooms and library collections – both the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library of over 600,000 items (floors 6–12) and the Central Public library (ground floor level, basement). The curvilinear and smaller structure houses the so-called “noisier” public, cultural activities including exhibitions, a 615-seat drama center and a multi-media space. These two separate structures are connected on the lower levels through the center by a semi-enclosed street/atrium and at the upper level through a series of bridges.
Also known as a “Library for the Tropics”, the National Library is the first building in Singapore to be certified Green Mark Platinum by Singapore’s Building and Construction Authority. This designation is due to the efforts of Ken Yeang and his studies in and application of bioclimatic principles. The facade is a primary example of these principles. The glass facades are double- glazed with low-E glass and include some of the world’s largest sun-shading devices. These sun shades/light shelves wrap around the building projecting into both the exterior and the interior, at some points 1.8 m from the face of the wall. Set at a 30° angle, they simultaneously control solar gain and glare while maximizing daylight. Other examples include the atrium, which is used as a “thermal stack” over the internal street. The wind tunnel effect cools the plaza and the transition space between the buildings, thereby lessening the demand for air conditioning. The list of sustainable features is long with highlights that include daylight control systems, rain sensors as part of an auto-irrigation system, start-stop elevators, CO2 sensors in the air handling units, night setback in the air conditioning system, a series of “skycourts” as part of the gross floor area. These features together are responsible for an energy efficiency index (EEI) of 151 kW/hr/m² with measurable energy savings of 31 %.
With the design for the National Library, Yeang has created a civic icon for a Singapore that has shifted from its industrial past to a modern center of information technology and services.
Drawings
Ground floor
Fourth floor
Sixth floor
Ninth floor
15th floor
Sixteenth floor
Cross section
Section through internal street
Southeast elevation
Southwest elevation
Photos
The library in its dense urban environment
Views of entry lobby
Originally published in: Nolan Lushington, Wolfgang Rudorf, Liliane Wong, Libraries: A Design Manual, Birkhäuser, 2016.