The third place
KAP1 is the new cultural centre in the former post office building at the main station. The
FFT and the central library have found a new home here. VIVID met Stephan Schwering, head of the central library, for a tour of the new premises.
After years of sitting empty, two institutions of Düsseldorf‘s cultural landscape have found a new home in the former post office building at Konrad Adenauer Platz 1: the FFT and the central library.
The name KAP1 of the state capital’s new cultural location is short for its address: Konrad-Adenauer-Platz 1. Two institutions of Düsseldorf’s cultural landscape have found a new home in the former post office building, the Freie Forum Theater, or FFT for short, and the central library. For the latter in particular, the move was urgently necessary. “The large number of visitors could hardly be accommodated there, so that a new concept for the central library in the city centre had been under consideration for some time,” explains Hans-Georg Lohe, head of the cultural department of the state capital Düsseldorf. The city hopes that the revitalisation of the building will improve the quality of life in Düsseldorf’s central urban space - apparently with success. “Already in the first three months, more than 300,000 visitors were able to convince themselves of the quality of the new cultural centre,” Lohe continues. “The spatial proximity of the FFT and the central library can lead to a mix of visitors that will make KAP1 a lively anchor point for all those interested in culture.”
That the new location of the central library in particular has been so well received comes as no surprise. “We have 8,000 square metres of public space. Since our shelves are no higher than 1.50 m, there is a nice transparency in the space and accessibility. In total, we have 15 different areas where events can take place. Behind this is the idea of the library as a platform: it should be a place where citizens can meet,” says Stephan Schwering, head of the central library. Next to the workplace and the home, the modern library wants to be like a “third place”, a meeting place and event venue, creating a high quality of stay.
“Behind this is the idea of the library as a platform: it should be a place where citizens can meet.”
Following the wishes of the target group, the youth library was equipped with classic book walls. Right behind is the LibraryLab, where you can use 3D printers free of charge, among many other things.
This also includes the new opening hours of 74 hours a week, “no other public library in Germany offers more”, says Stephan Schwering proudly. Thirty per cent of the time, however, there are no library staff present, but only a security service on site. “This is possible, among other things, because we have introduced self-service for borrowing and returning books.” But people who do not want to borrow books are also welcome, he said. “We are a public place, and even as a visitor without a library card you can do a lot here, like use our internet PCs.” But it’s well worth getting a library card, which includes a whole range of services and costs only 20 euros a year; it’s even free for all users up to the age of 21.
These services are often digital, for example in the LibraryLab. The highlight here are two 3D printers, which are available free of charge to every library card holder after a short introduction. “Libraries should enable participation, also in modern developments and digitalisation,” explains Stephan Schwering. Accordingly, VR headsets are also installed in the LibraryLab, which are also regularly used at events. “We combine virtual reality with travel literature, for example, and let our visitors drive along the Nile or visit the Louvre with the VR headsets. The central library also offers interesting and, above all, free events on other subjects, as well as cooperations with the VHS and, of course, the FFT.
But back to digitalisation, which plays a fundamental role in the new concept of the central library; also in the area for young people, where there are corresponding workshops, a lot of community work and three media educators. “In addition, we provide 60 PCs with internet access and office programmes as well as a total of 600 workstations. Many young people use our facilities to study, because they can discipline themselves better here and have more peace and quiet than at home.”
And this despite the fact that the first level of the central library is quite lively, especially in the children’s library with its adjoining “creative hub”. Visual highlights are a wooden tree house that reaches up to the ceiling and a mural by Düsseldorf children’s book author and illustrator Martin Baltscheit. “Overall, we have paid a lot of attention to the needs of families here,” explains Stephan Schwering.
But we have also come up with something for adult users. “At our workstations you can print out up to ten pages free of charge, and we’ve installed almost 2,000 power sockets.” And who pays the electricity bill? “For that, we have solar panels on the roof that allow us to produce much of our own energy.”
“For that, we have solar panels on the roof that allow us to produce much of our own energy.”
A highlight of the children‘s library is the beautifully designed wooden tree house that reaches up to the ceiling.
There are also cosy reading areas where you can, for example, browse through the numerous international daily newspapers or magazines available here. And of course there is the “Xafé”, a restaurant where you can enjoy coffee, cake and small snacks as well as an impressive view of the area surrounding the main station. From July, literature lovers can even get married in the “Stadtfenster”, and on the second level there is the library’s own roof garden. So the property with its 25,000 square metres is an absolute stroke of luck. In addition to the central library and the FFT, various archives and office workplaces for the city administration have also taken up residence.
By the way, customers and their wishes were included in the planning of the new library. This is how really special features were created, such as the LibraryLab studio, where audio, video and photo editing can be carried out with the appropriate programmes or even record your own podcast. In addition, there is high-performance WLAN that is fully accessible to everyone, as well as glass-paned booths in which visitors can work undisturbed. “In our planning, we took inspiration from the Netherlands and Scandinavia, especially Denmark and Finland. After all, we have a non-commercial and cultural educational mission. And that has become rare in cities: Where else can you go today without having to spend money?”, enthuses Stephan Schwering. •
Words Katja Vaders
Pictures Michael Gstettenbauer, Ingo Lammert, Stadt Düsseldorf