Out of the Box

Conceived as a civic monument for the university campus, the new Central Library reinterprets the tradition of Europe’s great public buildings through a contemporary lens of environmental responsibility. Compact and archetypal, its square plan and measured proportions express clarity, permanence, and accessibility — an architecture that belongs to the city while projecting into the future.

The building rises above two naturally lit underground levels, leaving most of the site open as a garden that connects the campus to the nearby forest. Above ground, a timber superstructure wrapped in perforated recycled aluminium defines a calm, tactile façade. The pattern of its folds evokes the depth of rusticated stone, while recessed loggias filter light and create shaded outdoor reading terraces.

Inside, a central grid of timber columns organises flexible spaces across six levels — from open reading rooms and study areas to archives, offices, and an auditorium. The structure combines prefabricated timber with recycled concrete, minimising embodied energy and enabling rapid, precise assembly.

Natural ventilation, photovoltaic panels, and a closed-cycle water system make sustainability the building’s foundation rather than an addition. The result is a library that unites civic gravitas and ecological intelligence — a prototype for a new generation of public architecture in Montenegro.