The philological library is a scientific library of the free University of Berlin (FU Berlin). The collection emphasis is on the philologies, thus on the speaking and literature sciences. The library building in the citizen of Berlin local part Dahlem was sketched opened to 2005 by Norman Foster and.

Collection profile

The library covers the philological existence of the specialist area philosophy and Geisteswissenschaften of the free University of Berlin. Up to the year 2005 these were at several from each other separate locations. They were united by the philological library for the first time with one another. The existence of the library covered 2005 within the ranges of the linguistics and the literature science altogether 700,000 books as well as subscription of over 800 newspapers and magazines. It is divided the former technical libraries accordingly into the following departments:

• General and comparative literature science, comparative linguistics
• Altamerikanistik and Lateinamerikanistik,
• Anglistik,
• Byzantinistik and
• Germanistik,
• Indogermanistik,
• Classical philology,
• Central latin,
• Niederlandistik,
• Romanistik,
• Slawistik.

With 175.000 volumes the existence of the Germanistic partial library is the largest of Germany, the Netherlands with 40.000 volumes the second largest collection. Large departments form also the Anglistik and the Romanistik, the latter also over 145.000 volumes. Further important special collections are among other things also to the Catalan speaking and literature science and for the literature of Canada. In addition, smaller philologies like the Galici language exhibit extensive existence; and also the again-Greek existence is not the largest with 24.000 volumes in the library represented is against it the range of the Amerikanistik. It is also further at the John f lain in the proximity. - Kennedy institute for North America studies.

Use situation

The library is a reference library with reduced check-out counter. 98% of the books are freely accessible and do not have not to be booked in advance. Only particularly rare or valuable copies, e.g. incunabula, can be seen only on request. The philological library had 633 read places on five levels and is completely equipped with Wireless LAN. 94 Internet search terminals as well as 14 PC pool jobs supplement the offer. All terminals are to be further processed in scanning attached at the digital pressure and Scansystem of the library, which make it for the user possible not to only copy book sides as before but and multimedially. The library is opened weekday from 9.00 to 22,00 and Saturday to 17,00 o'clock, a Sundays opening is planned starting from 2007.

The philological library is part of the library system of the FU Berlin, which is the largest of all German universities with a medium existence of approximately 8.5 million volumes as well as 20,000 current magazines.

Architecture

The new building of the philological library accompanied with the reorganization and the change of an already existing building complex, the rust in such a way specified and silver summerhouse. This building sketched by the architectural team team 10 consists of an extensive polyzentrischen structure, which consists of different modular partial buildings. Two to dreigeschossige solidiums groups itself around a multiplicity of inner courts. Into this existing building ensemble the new library was built as nearly perfectly freely standing In order to create for this area, the pool of six inner courts of the rust summerhouse was necessary.

The British architect and designer Norman Foster won 1997 the expert competition together of the building project written out publicly by Land Berlin and the free University of Berlin. Start of the asbestos reorganization of the rust and silver summerhouse was 1999, commencement of construction of the library 2001. It was finished placed to 2005 after four years construction period, while the reorganization of individual old building ranges will persist still into the year 2007. Originally Fosters draft for the installation of the philological library planned a covering of the again created inner court, which should orient itself in its structure at the past existence. Swung glass areas, which should adapt thereby by means of an transparency-easy and filigraneren roof structure from steel and glass particularly in the height as closely as possible to the adjacent sections of old building of the rust summerhouse, were planned. Similarly as with the citizen of Berlin realm tag building had to revise the renowned architect its origin draft several times however from cost reasons, which led to a completely changed concept and to the solidium in its current form.

The library consists now of a compact, multi-storey reinforced concrete construction with two supplying cores. This "„internal construction "“of a cantilever kuppelartigen building cover far re-clamp, without of it affect: The outside covering of the doubleshelled construction consists of closed and transparent panels. This change of aluminum segments, aeration cells and doubly glassed disks is supported by means of a hidden steel frame construction. It hardly visibly lies as basic framework between outside and internal covering. On aerial photographs and from the bird perspective the outside form reminds of a gently curved silvery-shining drop, which pleases into the inner court and is connected with the rust summerhouse only in two small places. Altogether the building measures a length of 64 meters, a height of 19 meters and width of 55 meters. The main effective area amounts to 6,290 m the placing capacity of 800,000 books.

The interior covering conceived Foster made of glass fiber fabric with transparent patches. The latters make short possible of views outward and into the sky. Otherwise these white material diaphragms divided into segments filter the sunlight in accordance with light planning and provide for a bright work atmosphere on the inside. There the two supplying cores take up the stairways, lifts, sanitary plumbings and technical mechanisms. Over the individual completely accessible building levels group themselves and taper themselves this center one above the other upward, a freely standing Etagere similarly. However surface areas of the levels are not evenly circular: The edges run swung and describe the form of waves or zigzags. Hereby the architect achieved a substantial enlargement of the edge lengths and increased at the same time also the number of the read places, because they are arranged at the edge zones: A long "„workbench volume "“pulls itself the parapet wall following on the edge of each level along. The individual job is equipped with a read lamp, plug sockets and a chair, whose model the architect and furniture designer sketched Egon egg man. The books are kept in anthracite coal-colored Stahlregalen, which are located in the center of the library - groups around the supplying cores and to to the edge zones near-handing. On the highest level is a Leselounge with large red Sesseln. Otherwise became everything that could disturb a concentrated work atmosphere from the library banished: The library maintenance, seminar and group work area are in the old building, which can be attained by means of an underground tunnel.

All floors are cut in the center, whereby a symmetrical axle center with atrium develops, because of whose terminator point the input area, and/or opposite it open stairs are. While the building seems by its form and colour altogether futuristically, a skurriler contrast develops in some places: Like that both the panels are at the entrance, as well as in the colors yellow-orange held only the three-dimensional framework of the building cover visible in some places. Thus Norman Foster wanted to make a connection to the rust and silver summerhouse, likewise which exhibit a coloredness in certain places (Sonnenmarkisen and carpets).

Already before its opening the building carried "„Berlin Brain "“(English) for the surnames: Because of the characteristic, round-curved form on the inside the architecture of the anatomy of a human brain, which is protected by its head cover surrounded and, resembles its outside covering, as well as the folded building levels arranged in two hemispheres. In Berlin is the philological library beside the realm tag building the second of Norman Foster realized building project. It created a further object of interest, whose unusual architecture attracts many visitors with its conversion.

Initiative "„country of the ideas "“

To the soccer world championship 2006 the philological library was selected by the FC Germany GmbH, in order in the initiative "„Germany - country of the ideas "“to participate. Under the title "„explore The Berlin Brain "“on 11 April 2006 in the library guidance, readings and scientific lectures were organized, scientists spoke poems. The topic variety covered thereby all fields of activity of the library and led from the world literature in the age of the globalization across the library of Alexandria as a nut/mother of all scientific libraries up to the football in Latin America. In the evening the play the rebellion of C.J. Hopkins had its premiere.

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