Award-Winning Building with Clear Purposes
"Like a magical snowscape. Few Swedish public projects can compare to the interior of the new university library in Falun" was a description in the magazine Arkitektur in 2014. That same year, the building received the award "Higher education and research building of the year" at the World Architecture Festival. The library has even been featured with its own chapter in a Japanese book on European architecture. It's a construction project that has garnered a lot of attention and appreciation.
One purpose of the new building was to make the university more visible in Falun, and to create a space where the institution's various activities could be showcased. Another purpose was to create a space for collaborative learning and meetings as well as for individual studies.
The report From traditional academic library to modern learning environment (in Swedish) describes the ideas behind and the planning process leading up to the construction. It also provides an evaluation of the finished result from several perspectives.
Indoor Waterfall
After a heavy rainfall in July 2016, a large amount of water accumulated on the lowest roof level of the library. Hundreds of liters of water poured in through one of the lower roof beams and into the library for a short period. Fortunately, library staff were on-site and able to begin rescuing books from the water, but several hundred books were destroyed.
Eva Nordgren, library director then and now, remembers it as a chaotic time:
"During the following autumn and spring, there was some disruption in the library due to renovations and cleanup. We needed to remove bookshelves and tear up floors, among other things. Fortunately, we were able to remain open as usual during this time."
Sports
The priximity to Lugnet's various sports arenas is hard to miss for visitors to Campus Falun. Sometimes, athletes have also moved into the library, such as for press conferences during the 2015 Ski World Championships.
Culture and Community Events
Numerous concerts and lectures have been held in the library's arena.
Adaptations during the COVID-19 Pandemic
The library remained open as usual throughout the pandemic but made some adjustments to the premises, including installing plexiglass at information points to prevent the spread of infection.
What's Happening Now?
Creating a vibrant library and space for learning and exchanges is an ongoing process. Library staff, students, and university employees contribute to this process together, in various ways. For example, around the time this news is published, a national symposium on linguistics is being held in the premises, a couple of theses are being defended, and all the lighting in the library is being replaced. This is in addition to the core activities of the library – the daily flow of students and others who use the library in various ways.
Right now, visitors can also see an exhibition on the University's work with sustainable development, created by library staff.
