Kanazawa Umimirai Bookstore, the one with the 6,000 moons
in the library of Kanazawa in Japan (designed by Kazumi Kudo and Hiroshi Horiba of the Coelacanth K&H Architects studio) projected a perforated cube with a few 6,000 holes through which the light penetrates, either that of the sun, or that of the moon. This year it has been named by the ** Flavorwire website ** as one of the twenty-five most beautiful libraries in the world.
We can find some reminiscence of circular openings in facades in the 60s, for example in New York in the National Maritime Building on West Side Manhattan designed by Christian Montone, but rather with naval influences.
In the “lunar” cube dedicated to the study and reading of the Kanazawa Umimirai Library , the colors white and gray prevail and where the light, nuanced by atmospheric and hourly changes, is projected through the translucent glass of each opening.
An open space that counts the hours according to the incidence of light inside
The intention is to create a atmosphere that encourages the reader to stay in the library beyond the act of requesting and picking up a book. To do so, they promote on-site reading , facilitate the use of state-of-the-art computers and promote the use of common spaces as points for teamwork and the exchange of ideas.
The architects intended to create a calm, open, serene and bright atmosphere through the simplicity of the white box and the rational arrangement of the shelves: “The building represents the continuous relationship between books and people that transcends history and our time. Read to know, to enjoy, explore or expand the imagination, an experience that enriches the spirit and that in our space is also linked to fostering values and a sense of what is public, of what is shared among several people”, comment Kazumi and Hiroshi.
Umimirai Library from Tramnesia on Vimeo.
Kawabata expressed in a passage of 'The beautiful and the sad' disappointment at the impossibility of being able to enjoy the moon reflection : “Otoko was planning to take Keiko to Mount Kurama Temple for the Full Moon Festival… Partygoers were supposed to drink from a sake bowl reflecting the full moon; That's why nothing could be more disappointing than a cloudy sky, without a moon..."
maybe some avid late night reader , instead of going to a temple for the Full Moon Festival, he can bathe in its silver light in the Kanazawa library. There, in his quiet interior, he will look for his reflection on a computer screen, on the tables or on the cover of a copy.
1966 National Maritime Building West Side Manhattan NYC