As part of a community regeneration programme in the township of Spijkenisse, Netherlands, a new library has been designed by MVRDV. It has been named Book Mountain and was designed to resemble a traditional Dutch farmhouse. A brick base is topped with a sloping pyramid of glass. The enormous mound of books inside the pyramid is visible from all sides and the whole concept is aimed at the community, which has an illiteracy rate of 10%, to encourage them to read more.
Entrance to the library is on the first level and a 480m route of paths takes the visitor around the books to the top level under the glass roof which houses a cafe. The shelves, which are made of a compound material from crushed plant-pots, currently hold a total of 70.000 books with space for another 80.000 available. Although the books are exposed to natural daylight, it is unlikely that they will all be taken out on loan therefore the exposure offsets the natural wear and tear that books from a smaller library would undergo.
In addition to the library, the centre also accommodates an auditorium, an education centre, meeting rooms, offices and shops and is intended to play a major role in the future of the new community.
