Kikuchi City Central Library: A River of Knowledge

Designed by Kazunobu Nakamura, a Library that Flows Like a River

The Kikuchi City Central Library is not just a municipal public library; it's a testament to the power of design and architecture in creating spaces that foster learning and community. Kazunobu Nakamura, the creative director and interior designer behind this project, drew inspiration from the city's identity, specifically the Kikuchi River. The result is a library designed around a huge bookshelf, aptly named "BOOK RIVER," which flows like a river through the space.

The "BOOK RIVER" is more than just a bookshelf. It changes various heights, becomes a seat, a counter, or even encloses a space like a wall. It has big holes that serve as tunnels, windows, or capsule-like spaces. This design creates various relationships between books and people, fostering rich communication. The bookshelf is transparent, allowing light and scenery to pass through, creating a space that is softly connected and felt.

The realization of this design was made possible through programming technology. The hand-drawn curves were transformed into continuous arcs, and steel columns were arranged to give structural strength while realizing a complicated shape. The bookshelf supports the total weight of 40 tons of books and has 13 holes, each creating a different communication scene. The holes, designed with motifs such as waterfalls, rocks, and valleys in the river, have a very complicated shape, but programming design technology made it possible to realize the design.

The library has been well received by the citizens of Kikuchi City. In the first two months from the opening, 40 thousand people, 80% of the city's population, visited the library. It has even hosted a civic wedding ceremony, despite being a library. The goal of the project was to create a library that local children would be proud of and want to visit many times in the future. It seems that goal has been achieved.

The Kikuchi City Central Library is a testament to the power of design and architecture in creating spaces that foster learning and community. It is a library that flows like a river, creating a unique and engaging space for the citizens of Kikuchi City. The library was awarded Platinum in A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award in 2018, recognizing its world-class, exceptional, and highly innovative design.