The Albert - Ludwigs University Library is a major facility within the German university system; it has a distinguished history and a collection which reflects its status. The limited competition was to design a new building within a reduced version of  the existing library - radical surgery to an existing form. The scheme retains the general shape and height of the existing library but reduces it into a simpler, slimmer volume - effectively moving the library Eastwards away from Milchstrasse. The architecture of the project is made by cutting and forming the sharp angular character of the existing floor plates- using their best character of exposed concrete, generous height and boardmarking- and setting them against a smooth outer skin, creating a dialogue of spaces,voids and views.

This character of sharp elements against a figure ground is also a recollection of the opposing architecture of vanished bastions on the city wall. The new skin reflects the climatic aspect of the site, open where light is necessary and closed  to avoid solar gain. Internally,  the opening up of large areas created a strongly sustainable environment peppered with atria and lightwells. Sandstone panels  are  augmented with timber and glazing in the atrium, with timber furniture and bookshelving integrated in all reading rooms. The atrium is heavily planted with trees in a series of trays supported on columns below. Cast in-situ concrete on walls was retained and cleaned in as many areas as possible; precast concrete ceilings are exposed to give thermal mass.