ALA Architects – headed by Juho Grönholm, Antti Nousjoki, and Samuli Woolston – has built a new central library for Helsinki in the Töölönlahti cultural district, opposite the Finnish Parliament. A competition was held for the purpose in 2013 and brought in 545 entries. The winning design shows an undulating roof over three levels: the top one presents traditional library functions with a flexible space, panoramic views of the city, and a large terrace; the intermediate level contains workshops, recording studios, and rooms for additional services and installations; and the ground floor, serving as an extension of the civic square, features multiuse halls, exhibition zones, a café, and a cinema. The building has been developed as an ‘inhabited asymmetrical bridge,’ with two steel arches that stretch more than 100 meters, without columns, over the covered entrance.