Landscape of Knowledge: The National Library of Israel

Essay, expanding design practices, Middle Density, Rafi Segal, Rafi Segal, Territory and mobility

Architect’s role, Architecture&knowledge, Built landscape, Citizen interaction, Cultural agitator, Culture, Digital era, Educational, Educational Building, Empowering society, Essay, Flexibility, Future projections, Information, Inner courtyard, Interactive building, Israel, Jerusalem, Knowledge, Landscape vs. Architecture, Library, Social culture, Territorial Approach, Topography, Urban culture

An architectural competition launched in early 2012 called to replace the National Library’s current location within the Hebrew University Campus with a new larger building better fit for the Library’s future needs. The site for the new building – located in West Jerusalem, adjacent to the Israel Museum and the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) – intended to enhance the Library’s public presence, accessibility and symbolic role within Israeli culture, while rethinking the design of the library in the digital age.