Aarhus’ new purpose-built central library and citizens service centre, Dokk1 has been described variously by Danish news media as “a cornucopia of rooms and functions” and “the Versailles of the welfare state.” These grand descriptions are no exaggeration: Across its 17,500 publicly available square metres, Dokk1 is an impressive feat, containing (in addition to thousands of books) two auditoria, a specially designed and developed playground, a fully automatic underground car park and an enormous tubular bell that rings whenever a baby is born at the University Hospital.
While architect studio schmidt hammer lassen’s design has been somewhat divisive, Dokk1 is absolutely a remarkable institution, if for no other reason than its status as a public library embracing and even attempting to advance modern ideas of what a library should contain.
Dokk1’s café is not exactly a frugal choice, but the plethora of other (free) activities in the house make a visit worth your while. Stay updated on current events by watching Dokk1’s website and Facebook page.
Don’t miss
- The enormous tubular bell located atop "the Ramp" centrally in the building