national library singapore case study

National Library in Singapore by Ken Yeang, an Effort Towards Sustainability in the Tropics

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Ken Yeang holds a prominent position among the most celebrated sustainable architects around today. The National Library Building in Singapore required a cutting-edge green design that would stand out as a landmark in the area. The client's specifications called for a structure that would double up as a cultural hub and a pleasant civic area for Singapore's residents. Once again, architect Ken Yeang seized an opportunity to incorporate his sustainability trademark in the tropical region.

The design of the building has two blocks separated from each other by an atrium. The atrium is fully day-lit and semi-enclosed to drive light into the various parts of the building while helping facilitate ventilation. Bridges in the atrium act as linkages between the two blocks. The larger block of the project accommodates the library which is located over a naturally-ventilated civic plaza that is open to the sky. The smaller block is a curved entity that houses all the noisy activities including an exhibition, auditorium and a multi-media space.

The architects resorted to having a differentiation in terms of space configuration hence ending up with the two halves that represent a quiet library section sitting alongside a noisy public activities space. The intention was to create an interesting library facility that can pull people, not just for the purpose of reading but other public and creative activities as well.

The building is oriented away from the East-West axis to avoid exposure to the afternoon sun. The southwest side has a solid wall that permanently prevents direct sun rays from getting into the building.

Sunshading blades have been fitted onto the building’s facades to prevent excessive heat and glare. Other facades also have sunshaded glass panels that let in natural daylight. The usage of artificial indoor lighting is minimized by light shelves that reflect daylight deeper into the building to help in lighting interior spaces.

The atrium, which the architects, T. R. Hamzah & Yeang , refer to as the internal ‘street’ is the main focal point of the whole project. On the ground level, it serves as linkage between two active streets (Victoria Street and North Bridge Road). It’s a Public Events Plaza; a communal space that also leads visitors into the main foyer. Retail areas, cafes, and a library shop bring activity into the plaza.

14 landscaped gardens in the complex are filled with 120 species of tropical plants which help in regulating daytime temperature inside the building. 2 accessible gardens by the public are located on two different levels of the building. The Courtyard, located at level 5 is equipped with outdoor audio-visual facilities. The Retreat, the second garden, is located on level 10 and offers a pebbled foot-reflexology path. The other gardens are normally closed but maybe opened for special events.

Smart technology systems have been adopted for the National Library building to help reduce energy consumption. Rain sensors, for example, reduce the amount of water that goes into the irrigation systems for the indoor gardens during the rainy season. Light sensors also dim or switch off the indoor lights when the interior spaces exhibit sufficient day lighting. Motion sensors have been installed in the escalators and toilet taps to ensure these facilities switch on only when they are in use.

The air conditioning system is adjusted every so often to regulate carbon dioxide levels in the building as well as maintaining favorable temperature.

The holistic consideration of green materials cap architect Ken Yeang’s desire to reduce the impacts of building materials on the natural environment. With the building achieving up-to 31% in energy savings as compared to non-green buildings of its size, it’s definitely a keenly done design with systems that help towards an environmentally low-impact design.

If you're looking to explore another architectural marvel, don't miss our article on Katiou Library By Albert Faus , a book haven for Komsliga Department In Burkina Faso

Project Information

Architects: T.R. Hamzah & Yeang Sdn Bhd Location: 100 Victoria Street, Singapore Building height: 102.8 m, 16 stories, 3 basement levels Energy savings: 31% GFA: 58,783 m2 Photography: T.R. Hamzah & Yeang Sdn Bhd

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Hack : A Case Study of Innovation: The National Library Board of Singapore

A Case study on how the National Library Board of Singapore has been deliberate in its strategic creation of symbiotic linkages between the work, home and community. Their intention has always been more than creating a place to check out books.

Beginning in 1992, the Singapore National Library Board (NLB) was not only tasked with revamping the library system in order to boost efficiency, but to also create a vision in which the library could act as a catalyst in creating a cultural shift in Singapore.This case study examines the different paths they took to accomplish their mission. In each of the following examples of different types of innovation, there is evidence of the creative process, distinctiveness, and impact.

The NLB leadership understood the library was much more than a room full of books. That said, they devised services, special facilities, and collections as the platform for fresh insights, self-discovery, and engaging interactions to make the library the catalyst for innovative learning experiences. They created distinct offerings such as libraries in shopping malls ( library@orchard ), which were much more visible to the everyday citizen. They even created library services that were available through short messaging services (SMS) on a cell phone in order to streamline processes and make services even more readily available. And the impact of these actions has been substantial. In 2001 alone, the NLB made 25,034,444 loans in a country where the population is only slightly more than four million people. Their membership has risen more than 12 percent since 1998, with a similar 12 percent increase in annual visitors.

Queues at the NLB were always long, but it was stated several years ago that if a system were not set in place immediately, queues today could be upwards of four hours long. They understood that as imperative as it was to come up with new insights for inciting a societal cultural change, they had to undergo an internal restructuring first. The process they adopted was two-pronged—developing a coordinated national collection process while streamlining many of their backend processes. Working with industry partners, the NLB deployed the use of Radio Frequency Identification Technology for the world’s first Electronic Library Management System, which was later awarded a patent for being a revolutionary system for library automation. The impact of removing book stamping and fine collecting at the counters has saved more than $50 million per year in staff wages. The NLB has also implemented several other process innovations such as sophisticated integration of their back-end HR and finance systems that have since eliminated more than 40,000 forms and save more than $6 million in man-hours each year.

Sir Isaac Newton said, “If I can see farther than other men, it is because I stand on the shoulders of giants.” The NLB has been able to capture that very essence. Being in a small nation like Singapore, they understood they needed to assume a creative process that allowed for adaptability and evolution. They began to grow and leverage various local and international partnerships and collaborators such as the Congress of Southeast Asian Librarians (CONSAL), the Russian State Library, and the Singapore Management University. This has enabled them to create a more diverse and robust offering to their members. Because the libraries’ collection now traverses the boundaries of the nation, the NLB took the next step to develop the eLibrary Hub to serve as a one-stop, all-inclusive digital library accessible from anywhere with Internet access. This transformation has had a significant impact on society. Through the network of borderless libraries, Singaporeans have access to information from a greater multitude of resources always close at hand.

The NLB has been deliberate in its strategic creation of symbiotic linkages between the work, home and community. Their intention has always been more than creating a place to check out books. Instead the mission has been to create a lifestyle product that is fully ingrained into society. Through the creative process of co-locating in the community, they have been able to create “Lifestyle” libraries with an image that depicts a character of both convenience and fun while maintaining learning at the core. And even though this is a long-term mission for the NLB, signs of success have already begun to manifest: Half of all Singaporeans are members. Even more impressive is that the Lifestyle library is the country’s third most popular destination after school/office and home.

Being innovative should not be such an impossible quest, and it isn’t as long as it is woven in as an integral part of the organizational culture and leadership vision. An eye for innovation cannot be just at the top ranks of the organization, nor can it only be at the bottom. In order to incite a successful culture of innovation, it is important that everyone associated with the organization—employees and outside partners alike— understand and apply a meaningful, consistent framework for assessing innovation in their work.

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Beyond Promotion—The Destination Library: The National Library of Singapore Case Story

From the book library management and marketing in a multicultural world.

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Chapters in this book (32)

National Library Singapore: Hamzah & Yeang

National Library Singapore, Victoria Street Building, Ken Yeang Design, Pictures

National Library of Singapore Building

Victoria St Architectural Development in Southeast Asia design by T.R. Hamzah & Yeang

10 Jul 2009 Photos taken by Tom Ravenscroft in July 2009 for e-architect:

Singapore National Library

Address: 100 Victoria Street Date built: 2005 Design: Ken Yeang – T.R. Hamzah & Yeang ; DP Architects

The building designed by T.R. Hamzah & Ken Yeang consists of two 16-storey blocks, with three basements.

The blocks are linked by skybridges on every floor. It houses two libraries, the Central Public Library in Basement 1 and the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library from Levels 7 to 13.

It also houses the Drama Centre from Levels 2 to 5, which is managed by the National Arts Council. On the 16th floor, there is a closed viewing point called The Pod.

Location: National Library of Singapore, Singapore , Southeast Asia

Architecture in Singapore

Contemporary Architecture in Singapore

Singapore Architectural Designs – chronological list

Architecture Walking Tours by e-architect

Singapore Architecture

Singapore Architecture Walking Tours – city walks by e-architect

New Singapore Architecture Design

Marina Bay Financial Center towers Design: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates Marina Bay Financial Center Singapore

Moulmein residential tower Design: WOHA Architects Moulmein Rise Singapore

Supreme Law Court of Singapore Design: Foster + Partners Supreme Law Court of Singapore

National Heart Centre Design: Broadway Malyan Architects National Heart Centre Singapore

Raffles Hotel Building – famous historic architecture in this Southeast Asian city state

Comments / photos for the National Library Singapore Architecture page welcome

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National Library Board Singapore: World-Class Service through Innovation and People Centricity

The National Library Board (NLB) Singapore is a statutory board that managed to become a serial innovator. Its globally leading innovations in the library context include an award-winning radio frequency identification (RFID) system to automate check-out, returns, and sorting of books, shelf-reading robots, and even self-service libraries. NLB's consistent focus on excellent service delivery reinforced its commitment to innovation. Key levers were effective strategic leadership, a smart innovation strategy that made heavy use of technology—such as app-delivered self-service technologies and crowdsourcing—as well as a people-centric staff culture. NLB managed to co-create attractive libraries of the future together with different types of community members, such as volunteers and corporations, ushering in a new age of citizen involvement, while also preparing both the library and the population of Singapore for the knowledge demands of the 21st century. This case study examines NLB's drivers of successful innovation.

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