Europe’s Most Innovative Library Has a Botanical Garden on the Roof

stand The garden roof of the Warsaw University Library (Biblioteka Uniwersytecka w Warszawie) feels like it’s in the center of the universe, or at least the center of Poland. From above, you can see the spire of the Palace of Culture and Science, the Copernicus Science Center next door, the basket-like PGE Narodowy Stadium and the banks of the Vistula River. Large arched windows below reveal students sitting in study rooms below, surrounded by piles of books.

There is an inherent appeal to library tourism – visiting places where countries preserve their collective knowledge and history. The University of Warsaw Library is a particularly enriching stop. Although this knowledge center stood on Dobra (“Good”) Street for only 26 years, the library has long been a symbol of the city’s struggle for knowledge. Since its founding in 1816, it has survived two world wars, the November Uprising of 1830 and communism. At a time when books and knowledge are once again under threat in the United States and abroad, it is also a reminder of how much knowledge may be lost in the digital age.

The architecture is distinct from the Soviet-style neighborhood architecture that defines much of the city’s character. As librarian Lilianna Nalewajska explains, its exterior features a candy-pink grille from the excavation site of the former library (a symbolic link between past and present), as well as images of Plato and Polish poet Jan Kochanowski. The book-like sculpted green facade, as well as various other classics, are a nod to what is contained within. This is particularly significant considering that the building was constructed in 1999, just eight years after the fall of communism, when many of the works were restricted to the public.

“The idea of ​​the architects of this place, Marek Budzyński and Zbigniew Badowski, was that it should show that this is an important place for humanity,” Nalewajska said. “But here you will find texts from different cultures and different attitudes. Visitors pass through the books and into the light.

Made of glass and steel, the building has a minimalist structure designed to make the most of light during the short winter days. Huge green beams span the glass ceiling to form a metallic, forest-evoking canopy. In 2002, the Polish Minister of Infrastructure awarded the library the “Outstanding Digital Quality” award.

As Nalewajska points out, the symbolism of the entrance extends to the entire building, especially the statues of Demosthenes and Sophocles that stand on columns on either side of the entrance.