From Weinheim to Prague:
Bringing colour to technical texts in the golden city

Book follows book. Anyone looking for specialist literature at the National Technical Library in Prague sometimes has a long way to go – because the building is the largest of its kind in the Czech Republic. It is home to more than 1.5 million books, distributed over nine modern floors and a rounded square floor plan. When the library was ceremonially opened in September 2009, there were only winners. Not only the Prague firm Projektil Architekti, whose design won the architectural competition eight years earlier, but the more than 24,000 students, scientists and numerous others who visit the library every day. As they walk the long distances in search of their various volumes and periodicals, the rubber flooring provides pleasant walking and standing comfort and contributes to a quiet reading and learning environment. It is truly worth its weight in gold.

The decision-makers also opted for an unconventional yet coherent design concept. In addition to pictures by the Romanian artist Dan Perjovschi, the noraplan uni rubber floor covering contributes its own accents. On floors two to six, it creates a highly impressive design in blue, yellow, red, orange and green – the different colour nuances shining in the attractive open interior. A veritable sea of colours over an area of 5,000 square metres. The elaborate rubber inlays were implemented by nora systems and echo the strong geometrical lines of the ceiling and the floor. At the same time, numerical designations and dimensions are found inside the library. This is both informative and entertaining. For example, it indicates how long it will take to climb the staircase, as well as how many calories will be consumed while doing so.

Project at a glance