noa* tops library concept in milan with organic roof ring + blossoming park

noa* designs ‘tree of knowledge’ library in milan, italy

Within the tranquil Porta Vittoria neighborhood in Milan, Italy, the European Library of Information and Culture proposal by noa* is intended to serve as a center for creation that inspires and liberates the mind. Titled ‘the Tree of Knowledge’, the project was flanked by the development of a natural landscape that permeates all spaces, while an organic roof ring —the library’s distinctive architectural feature— unexpectedly houses a blossoming park.

‘Just as the cover of a book contains a story to dive into, the new European library conceals under a green landscape a knowledge available to anyone who wants to grasp it.’ the studio explains.

all images courtesy of Dima Visualization

Imbued with surreal atmospheres of rooftop forests and flying books, the new cultural center places the visitor in the ideal condition to explore uncharted territories. The starting point of the project was the research into the meaning, usage, and features of a 21st-century library. The team at noa* reimagined it as a hub of creativity, with the aim to create a stimulating setting for acquiring new knowledge. The resulting design generates a relaxed and quiet atmosphere, a hybrid environment where the line between inside and outside becomes blurred.

The complex architectural structure was flanked by the creation of the natural landscape, which permeates all spaces. The organic wave of the roof, the stylistic signature of the library, unexpectedly houses a flourishing park. This is to be viewed on a broader scale of urban parklands , of which the BEIC is a key element. Although the library’s architecture is markedly introverted, the volume emerging from the ground also expand sover part of the Porta Vittoria Park, making accessibility one of the key points of the project.

There are a total of nine floors: the main one is located on the first level, where a sinuous promenade allows the complete crossing of the building. In an evocative spatial experience, the visitor is invited to discover the rich functional programme on the interior boulevard. Access to the outside , a natural continuation of the interior spaces,
is provided on every floor.

A circular study room for 200 people, with a 360° view over Milan, vertically closes the building. To reach it, one ascends a one – of – a -kind elevator , a proper tower of books, picked up as needed by an automated system .
Through this astonishing landscape of moving books ,the highest point of the BEIC is reached. It feels like climbing a tree after having walked through a lush garden. And not by chance, since the archetype that inspired the
team of architects is the Garden of Eden, where the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil grows. T
he biblical episode linked to it is perhaps one of the narratives philosophers have drawn on most to portray humanity. According to Hegel, by eating the forbidden apple from the Tree of Knowledge, Eve was the first person
to stand apart from the animals, a cquiring consciousness and intentionality in doing. When Eve became interested in the unknown, paraphrasing, libraries found their raison d’être. On the roof of the BEIC, studio noa*wanted to recreate an earthly Eden, where we could celebrate the beauty of knowledge and continually encourage people to reach out to unknown worlds.