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National Library of the Netherlands

Hundreds of years of knowledge and stories, captured in books and stored at the National Library of the Netherlands in The Hague – a repository that was bursting at the seams and therefore in need of expansion.

Our knowledge grows by the day, which means the space in which we store this knowledge needs to grow with it. The National Library of the Netherlands in The Hague was due for such expansion to ensure the flow of books it expects to receive over at least the next 15 years can be looked after. Work on expanding the repository, situated close to the National Archives of the Netherlands, therefore began in 2003.

OD205

OD205 Architectuur from Delft was responsible for the design. The result is a building, constructed on columns, that offers space for storage, workstations and technical areas. An optimum indoor climate is essential for preserving books. This was therefore an important point for consideration when the repository was constructed. Kampstaal Staalbouw contributed to this project by supplying 1,200 tonnes of steel structures.