6,000 Circular Windows Flood Japan’s Kanazawa Library With Light

This spectacular new public library in Kanazawa, Japan is more than just a repository for books - it's a true community center that provides locals with a place to spend some time turning pages. <a href="http://www.coelacanth-kandh.co.jp/english/works/public_2011_kzl.php">Coelacanth K&amp;H Architects</a> made the library a spacious and light-filled environment by keeping the main floor wide open and flooding it with natural light from <b>6,000</b> small circular windows. The building's prodigious <a href="http://inhabitat.com/daylighting/">day-lit facade</a> combines with a smart cooling and heating system supplemented by<a href="http://inhabitat.com/zoka-zolas-naturally-cooled-bamboo-hostel-will-be-greenest-building-in-hong-kong/"> natural ventilation</a> to keep the interior cozy while saving energy.

The 45 x 45 meter building kept complexity to a minimum in order to make the most of available space and daylight.

The <a href="http://inhabitat.com/athens-placebo-pharmacy-is-wrapped-with-light-infusing-braille-perforations/">dotted exterior</a> walls contain thousands of round windows.

The windows are sized at 200 mm, 250 mm, and 300 mm. They provide a soft, even light throughout the interior.

The small size of the windows and the exterior's white finish helps keep the building cool in the summer.

Large natural cooling vents at the roof provide fresh air.

The under-floor heating and cooling system moderates temperatures at <a href="http://projects.bre.co.uk/dispvent/">floor level</a> rather than conditioning the entire lofty space, saving energy and improving comfort.

Reading areas are set along the perimeter of the walls to allow readers to make full use of the daylight, while multiple designated rooms provide space for more specific activities.

The architects modeled the floor plan on the 19th century <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblioth%C3%A8que_nationale_de_France">Bibliothèque Nationale</a> in Paris, where a simple, large, open floor dotted with slender columns allows visitors to be immersed in the written word.

The <a href="http://inhabitat.com/unstudio-unveils-green-roofed-library-of-the-future-for-belgium/">open floor plan</a> also allows for more interaction among visitors.

Tucked below the main floor is a mixed-use series of spaces including a theater, multiple meeting rooms of various sizes, and an <a href="http://inhabitat.com/crystalline-domed-mansueto-library-features-robotic-book-retrieval-system/"> automated shelving</a> that stores the collection in a closed stack system to save space and optimize organization.

One of the many meeting rooms on the lower level.

The building's top floor plan.

The library's lower floor plan.