African Design Magazine September 2015 | Page 28

EXPLORING

The University of Rwanda, Nyarugenge Campus,
is the leading university in Kigali. In 2010 FBW
won a bid to design the new university library.

T

he library is the first new university
building close to the city centre. It is
located at the planned new entrance,
near the campus gates at the end
of the prestigious Boulevard de la
Revolution. Since the new library
acts as an impressive gateway
into the campus, the university
is planning to place their new
administrative offices in close
proximity to it and develop a new main entrance
from the city.
The library building filters direct sun-light and
offers well-lit reading spaces and openness in
the front areas to welcome new visitors. It will
become a focal point at the new entrance to the
university campus.

Sustainable Design
The design brief called for a building with
distinct features and spaces for not only books,
but for presentations and meetings with an
informal café. The building was to also avoid
high running costs and limit its carbon footprint.
The proposed design maximised the use of