The Royal Library

Copenhagen/ Denmark

Size/ 21,000 m² new build/ 7,000 m² conversion
Cost/ € 49 million excl. VAT
Competition/ 1993, 1st prize in European competition
Status/ Completed in 1999
Client/ Danish Ministry of Culture
Engineers/ Moe & Brødsgaard A/S
Interior design/ shldesign
Awards/ 1999, The Timber Industry Information Council Award/ 2000, The Architecture Prize of the Municipality of Copenhagen/ 2000, Nominated for the Mies van der Rohe Award/ 2001, The Nykredit Architecture Prize/ 2003, Du Pont Benedictus Award

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The extension to the Royal Library is one of the most significant architectural landmarks on the Copenhagen waterfront. Open and essentially democratic, the building includes a café, bookshop, exhibition room, restaurant, scientific and literary institutions, as well as a roof terrace and a 600-seat hall for concerts, theatrical performances and conferences, along with six reading rooms with a total of 486 seats. The solid black cube is divided in two by a vast glazed atrium, housing the majority of its public functions.

Situated in the historic heart of Copenhagen, the extension marks a radical shift from traditional library structure and accommodates a range of cultural facilities.

Clad in black granite, the extension to the Royal Library is known as the ‘Black Diamond’ – with its clean cut lines and glittering polished surfaces, the library is one of Copenhagen’s architectural gems.

The central space, affords panoramic views over the waterfront, and also serves as a significant source of daylight which is dispersed throughout the building.

Alongside acclaimed artist Per Kirkeby we identified the link area between the old library and the new building as a critical space, where an artwork could positively enhance the sense of connection that we were trying to create. Kirkeby suspended a large circular canvas floating above the information desk, a painting that announces the transition between old and new.

The extension has doubled the library’s overall size – the open shelves can accommodate more than 200,000 books compared to the previous capacity of 45,000.