Leessjatoo: Where heritage, stories and wonder come together.

With Leessjatoo, I am designing a library where reading is not just an activity, but an experience. The seeds of a pleasant library experience are sown as early as childhood. That is why the design is based on wonder, curiosity and discovery: children are encouraged to read, play, wander and find their own place within the room.

At Egmont Castle, the heritage is not overwritten, but made legible once more. The warm, historic atmosphere remains palpable, whilst a clear spatial intervention adds calm, light and direction.

The airlock forms a gentle transition between the castle and the new building. It brings together the intimate atmosphere of the existing building with a new, light-filled room that adds structure and openness.

The sloping wall forms the spatial compass of the library: it provides direction, tranquillity and clarity, filters out visual noise and naturally guides visitors to the information point, where reception, orientation and the collection come together.

At the heart of the design is a gently rising seating and reading landscape. This structure connects circulation, the collection and the visitor experience in a single spatial gesture. For children, it becomes a place to read, play, lie down and hide. Young people find room in the Digital Hub and the Makerlab; adults are provided with rooms for study, rest and socialising.

This creates a library where heritage, stories, generations and the future come together. A place where memories begin.