The fall workshop of the aac Academy for Architectural Culture focused on the design of a digital knowledge library in Hamburg. The brief was to design a multimedia library in which conventional library functions are combined with interactive concepts. Under the guidance of Volkwin Marg and Nikolaus Goetze, the multi- national scholarship students developed designs that show what such a multimedia library could look like in the center of Hamburg.

The fall workshop of the aac Academy for Architectural Culture took place from the 1st to the 24th of Sep- tember, 2021, in the aac’s studios at the Rainvilleterrasse Campus in Hamburg under the guidance of Volkwin Marg and Nikolaus Goetze. At a time when almost all media are available digitally, we have to ask how useful traditional libraries are as places of information and learning. In response to this situation, many so-called multimedia libraries have been created over the last ten years that also store and make available digital content. The City of Hamburg also wants to build a multimedia library in which traditional library functions are combined with interactive concepts. Alongside highly developed digital equipment, a dedicated space will be created for interaction with and use of all types of media, a multimedia library that is open to the public and involves the citizens, which means that the building will also function as a contemporary form of a traditional community center.

The site for the aac design at Gerhard Hauptmann Platz is located in central Hamburg. The site available is that of the former main branch of HSH Nordbank built in the 1970s. The future multimedia library is intended to become an urban place of attraction, including facilities beyond those of a pure multimedia library, such as restaurants and a makerspace available to the public, as well as workshops, recording studios, smaller cinemas, and events rooms. With a variety of spaces, a network of public pathways, and attractive landscaped areas, a new urban center can be created.

The workshop kicked off with the participants going on an excursion to Helsinki. The program included visits to buildings by Alvar Aalto and a guided tour of the Oodi Central Library designed by ALA Architects. Back at the aac studios, the scholarship students worked on their designs in multinational groups. The constructive input included regular tutorials and interim presentations, as well as lectures by Elif Tinaztepe (Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects), Chris van Duijn (OMA) and Magdalene Weiss (gmp).

The design by Group 1, Digital Connectivity, implements the networking in a digital and communicative sense: a large recess opens the building towards Gerhart Hauptmann Platz and, with curved ramps and connecting bridges, creates the connection with the upper spaces.

▼第一组设计成果“数字连接” Design of group 1 Digital Connectivity ©Academy for Architectural Culture