Located in the city of Nasushiobara, about 150 km north of Tokyo, this public library and plaza are fluidly integrated into the station’s surroundings. Like other Japanese local cities, railway station area deindustrialized while the city grew disorderly along boulevard.Looking to the context, Nasushiobara city aimed for shifting to a compact city, and planned a library that serves as a community center in front of Nasushiobara (railway) station. The city requested a new library that would contribute to the development of the entire neighborhood; we interpreted this to mean a place where new things spontaneously and continuously emerge. Using the forest as a motif for the community’s identity, we created a public library named “Forest of Words,” which will become a new symbol of the city. In our design, books are the medium that turns the actions of library patrons into content that is moving to other people, with everyday events at the library inspiring activity in the broader community and positive feedback loops developing between the two. It is a new next-generation public library that is like a “learning ecosystem.
When we step into a forest, we sense the subtle yet constant changes in season, weather, and plant and animal life, absorbing these transformations in multiple emotionally powerful ways. Similarly, as visitors walk freely through the library, they experience layers of subtle changes unfolding across softly defined borders, from Sculpture of words (a passage taken from a book) and other exhibits displayed at various locations in the building to the activities and other human-caused transformations taking place. Through the stimulation of multiple senses, the design is intended to spark new realizations and learning.
The design includes a station plaza that symbolizes the neighborhood and a path, called Miruru Avenue, that leads from the plaza through the library, drawing the everyday circulation routes and energy of the community inside the building. Conversely, shelving arranged in V-shapes that open toward the street displays activities taking place inside the library to the broader community. This is intended to encourage more neighborhood residents to take advantage of learning opportunities at the library. An atrium connects the first floor, bustling with everyday activity, to the comfortable stacks on the second floor. The varied height of the ceiling, which is modeled on the underside of a forest canopy, yields diverse spaces to spend time in, while radiating bookshelves create scenes of overlapping activities. The “leaf line” of the forest-like polyhedral louvers, which mimic the lower edge of the tree canopy, controls the natural sunlight from the top lights and creates an ever-changing light environment. The architecture, inspired by the form of a forest, creates an ecological experience of mutual inspiration and succeeds in creating an optimal library environment as a place for lifelong learning.