University of Leiden

How do you approach the redesign of a Library that goes back to the XVI century? How do you listen to the stories told by more than 5 million volumes? For Katja Hogenboom, one of the architects working on renovation of the Leiden University Library, the answer is quite clear. “People like to go to this new library to read and meet, now that the streets of the city are taken over by shopping and commuting. Public buildings such as this can provide information and enlightenment when they become the new public sphere of the city”.

For the redesign of the 1st floor study area we provided our exclusive Kayar flooring with coconut fibers. A library like a modern-day agora, a place of meeting, studying, sharing. Perfectly attuned to the modern age, with one million e-books on its virtual shelves, the Library focuses its mission mainly towards the students of Leiden University, though others can profit from its services.