A Reflecting Diamond

The old university library (1978-2008) was considered "not-refurbishable."
due to the energy consumption of its air conditioning (©Wikipedia/Klaus Graf) 

The other day, Red Baron took part in a guided tour of Freiburg's new Universitätsbibliothek (university library) that should open in spring 2015. The tour was organized by the Badische Zeitung, and the number of participants was limited to 25.

The new glass and stainless steel diamond in November 2013  (©joergens.mi/Wikipedia) 

Many people in Freiburg consider the new library building made of glass and steel atrocious. Red Baron, however, likes those technical things, as my neighbor once commented when I placed a 1.5-meter satellite antenna on my balcony in Geneva to receive German television. Concerning the new library, I even go a step further and regard the building as enriching Freiburg's architectural heritage.

Not to mention the innovations built into the new library. The latest developments in electronic reading and the Internet have been incorporated. Although the building has triple-glazing, it is not zero-energy. Solar panels on the roof will support the heating system in winter. Cold water from deep wells will ensure that the interior temperature in summer will not exceed 22 degrees centigrade. Red Baron was impressed and looks forward to visiting the public café inside the library, overlooking the Platz der Alten Synagoge (Square of the old synagogue), which is part of the university campus.

Reflecting the late April sun (©Badische Zeitung)

Already in the spring of this year, with the sun shining at a low angle, drivers approaching the building from Rempartstraße were dazzled by the light reflected from the glass surface. This came as a surprise to the architect, builder, and public. The university officials promised to span a sail over the glass surface so the driving public would no longer be perturbed. 

With fall approaching, a black cover went up for the first time yesterday. This "sail" does not look so great. However, the university officials plan to make a virtue of necessity by using the veiled surface as a banner. In the future, people passing by will probably see announcements of special lectures or other university events.

The "sail" is in position, waiting for the rising sun.

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