The 21st Century library is understood as a theatre of knowledge; a space of communication for the citizens of Cork. The site ground is lifted up to form a sequence of three stepped reading terraces, creating a landscape that abstracts the sloped urban landscape of Cork. These terraces differentiate the areas for readers while maintaining their relationship to the building as a whole and to Grand Parade.]
The 3 public areas are then organised on or above these terraces, with the open shelving and other activities on the upper levels arranged around voids that filter the light and allow the spaces to connect visually. The delivery area and closed book storage are tucked in under the raised ground of the reading terraces and connect to the staff areas which work vertically along the south edge. The facades make a rhythm of solid and void, giving the impression of spaces carved from a single piece of white limestone and seeking a resonance with the other public buildings of the city.
