The national and university library in Dresden houses a collection of some 8 million books and other media carriers.
As most of the rooms are located underground, the building blends into the surrounding area almost unnoticed. From the street it is hidden by large treetops. Above ground there are only two monolithic blocks faced in natural stone.
The actual library fits compactly into three storeys below the ground. In the reading room natural light streams in through the glass ceiling. A custom-made luminaire with a specially shaped, ‘facetted’ reflector was produced specifically for the open-shelf sections. This lighting technology generates a very regular and uniform vertical lighting, enabling people to find the books they are looking for quickly and easily.
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