Pontifical Lateran University Library Extension by King Roselli

One would be very surprised to find that the go-ahead for this modern extension of the Vatican University Library was given by none other than the very conservative late Pope John Paul II. There are almost a dozen ecclesiastical Universities in Rome (of course) and there are so many priests there, the library could use an extension. And extend it did! The project was designed by King Roselli architects, and its scope was to amass all 600,000 books of the library strewn all over the campus.

On commissioning the project for the new library extension to the Pontificial Lateran University the chancellor Mons. Rino Fisichella was quite clear in in his main objective: to bring the activity of reading and the consultation of books as the central occupation of the university. The new reading rooms and book stacks for free consultation are enclosed in the new extension placed closer to the heart of the university with access from the main spine of the first floor corridor. The reading rooms are now concentrated in a single volume with access to 70,000 volumes and 750 publications housed in the six floors of book stacks in a fire-protected tower.

Externally, the new building is placed next to a central block of lecture rooms of the “E” shaped plan. Although it is carefully aligned with the existing volume and clad in the same brick, the new block nevertheless assertively declares its modernity in the play of suspended volumes in light and shade.

The library's presence can be perceived from the university; through a series of viewing cones created by joining the window reveals (that once gave on to the exterior) to apertures closed with fire glass in the book stacks. It is entered from the first floor corridor of the main building down a flight of basalt stairs under the first level of the book stacks into a spacious foyer. This is where the locker room, computer indexes-laid on an articulated table, card index, professors reading room and librarians posting are set.

The library is arranged so that for every two floors of book stacks one sloping ramp, "U" shaped in plan, connects them. The book stacks are as low as possible to avoid the use of ladders to reach the highest shelves and, given the thin floor slab, are made look like a set of bookshelves themselves.

They are connected vertically by a staircase set between the containing wall and an interior façade of bookshelves facing the reading ramps dedicated to publications, to form in effect a book tower. The slope of the ramps is  determined by joining the regularly spaced floors of the book stacks to the irregular cuts in the façade which creates the reality (not simply the effect) of volumes floating in light.

These ramps are the reading rooms- they are levelled with mahogany platforms that accommodate the reading tables at the level changes. These are also made of mahogany block-wood and house the up-lights for ambient lighting.

Client:

Pontifical Lateran University
    Chancellor: S.E. Mons. Rino Fisichella

Project:

Library Extension- new reading rooms and direct consultation book stacks +
  Refurbishment of University Auditorium Project

Start:

2003

On site:

January 2004

Completion:

October 2006

Costs:

Building: Euro 7m
  Interiors: Euro 1m

Areas:

Auditorium: 660 m²
  Library Extension: 2000 m²

Design and Architectural Supervision:

Riccardo Roselli, King Roselli Architetti

Project Architect:

Andrea Ricci

Collaborators:

Giandomenico Florio, Ulich Grosse, Christina Hoffmann, Arianna Nobile, Enrica Testi, Katia Scarioni, Toyohiko Yamaguchi.

Structure:

Proges Engineering: Andrea and Pierfrancesco Imbrenda

Service Engineering:

Ovidio Nardi

Electrical Engineering:

Donato Budano

Lighting Design:

iGuzzini, Massimiliano Baldieri 

Site Management:

Vatican Authorities Technical Services: Enrico Sebastiani

General Contractor:

C.P.C. Technodir

Subcontractors/suppliers:

For the Library:
  Interior furniture and finishes in wood, glass and metalwork: Devoto Arredamenti
  Venetian floors: Ricordi
  Lighting: iGuzzini, Baldieri Illuminazione
  For the Auditorium:
  Seating (to a King Roselli design): Poltona Frau
  Stage area, Main Entrance Doors, cloakroom: Novarreda
  Side-wall panelling: Contin (Estel)
  Foyer Doors: Maestri del Legno
  Lighting: iGuzzini, Baldieri Illuminazione

Photography:

Santi Caleca sas, 3 via Comelico, 20135 Milano Italia tel.fax: +039 (02) 55195215 e-mail: S.Caleca@fastwebnet.it
  José King, 90 Gloucester St (flat B) London  SW 1 V 4ED, UK tel.+44 207 834 3040, e-mail: josek{@freeuk.com