Almere library roof garden

The new municipal library of Almere, designed by MVSA, is an important pillar in the master plan for the centre of the city by OMA/Rem Koolhaas. Karres en Brands designed the library’s roof garden in 2005. The enclosed roof garden is publicly accessible from within the building: an adequate link with the interior was an important starting point for the design.

The interior of the library consists of a tiered floor, which follows the height differences of the ‘second ground level’ in the city centre. The terraces that emerge as a result run through the building from inside to outside, and are made part of the interior garden design. The enclosed patio is a quiet place where visitors can read, study, and relax. Part of the garden is planted with Gleditsia, a type of tree that lets a great amount of light through, set in a bed of different grasses. On the grey-coloured gravel pavement are planted bowls with seasonal flowers and lavender. Seating elements are integrated into the curved steel borders of the terraces. The roof garden offers sunlight in the interior, a view of the seasons, and fresh air in the summer, when visitors can relax in one of the colourful armchairs there.