Akita International University, Library 2008

This library, which opens 24 hours a day, was built on the university campus. The library’s semi-circular Great Hall has an Akita cedar ceiling and ambient light radiating from the bookstacks along its walls that endow the space with a warm ambience. The ceiling cast in uplighting from the maintenance deck using a simple method, highlights the room’s distinctive features. Fluorescent lighting fixtures installed on top of the book stacks illuminate the spines of the books on the shelves below and bring into relief the vast number of books that are the room’s main attraction. In addition, reading desks have task lighting for every chair with settings that library visitors can use to adjust the light to their liking. Given that the library is open around-the-clock, and also from the viewpoint of location and operation, we stove for a convenient, economical, and practical design that is easy-to-operate and only uses the most common fixtures.