Located in Riviera, a Johannesburg suburb, the new library is to be a space for learning, investigation, and cultural exchange from the perspective of the African continent. Apart from the usual library program – including reading rooms and archives – the building will feature a museum, spaces for temporary exhibitions, a research center, an auditorium, and a facility devoted to fostering the empowerment of women. Along with personal belongings, the main part of the archive will showcase key documents having to do with President Mbeki and other significant figures of African history.

The project for the institution presents eight impressive cylinders conceptually modeled on industrial constructions traditionally used for storing grains, but on a contemporary note provided by the drilled domes that crown them. The openings adapt to their orientations and will create the ideal atmospheres for the respective uses. The huge silos are connected to one another by a horizontal platform that resolves the site’s uneven topography, and takes up the entire expanse of the building in order to provide a new public space for the community at large to gather in...[+]