The Central Library was in the early 1980s one of the first new large cultural facilities built in the city. The area around Blaak had to become a counterpart to all the functionalist architecture. Like many projects of its time, the Central Library resulted from a competition. The prize-winning design by Van den Broek and Bakema consisted of ‘stacked squares’. In 2021, the City of Rotterdam held a competition to select a design team for the renewal of the library. The winning design by Powerhouse Company, Atelier Oslo, Lundhagem and Delva aims to strengthen the relationship between the library and its surroundings.

During a guided tour, architect Albert Richters of Powerhouse Company took interested participants through the current building, including a look behind the scenes. He revealed the thinking behind the plans for the renovation and the inspiration provided by the original design, including the ideas not realised at the time. In exhibition at OMI he explained the design team’s plans in detail. Here, visitors were taken through the design process and the innovations of the new library, such as the stepped façade – waterfall – made entirely of glass. The Central Library will retain its historical value with its characteristic elements, but will also be given a modern interpretation with a completely new atrium and interior.