City Library Köpenick

In the southeastern suburb of Berlin, in the historical core of the Köpenick district, there is a library designed by the local studio Bruno Fioretti Marquez. One of the most picturesque Berlin neighborhoods, located at the confluence of the Spree and Dahme rivers, was heavily damaged during World War II, and to this day, there are empty plots in the historical center. One of them on the Old Market Square (Alter Markt) has been filled with a new library. The winning project from 2005 adapts both in mass and materials to the surrounding development. The building, made of exposed brick, uses “77 Lehnskov” bricks of the old Reich format 25 x 12 x 6.5 cm. The twelve-meter tall three-story building, with a footprint of 19 x 37 meters, encloses a cozy square with a park on the northern side and restores the area’s original layout. In addition to the main entrance, the library café is also oriented towards the square and can be used for educational purposes. The design also includes the reconstruction and connection to the adjacent former school and caretaker's house. Randomly placed fixed-glazed square windows of three different sizes are integrated into the 64 cm thick exterior walls. All three height levels are visually linked by openings in the ceilings, around which reading tables are installed as window sills. The surface of the outer walls is finished with a thin white plaster that allows the structure of the exposed brick to shine through. The interior walls and floors are made of exposed concrete. The revealed ribbed ceiling made of wooden laminated trusses also creates a structural herringbone ornament. Freestanding book shelves made of MDF help in spatially dividing the expansive library hall.