Text description provided by the architects. Sasaki initially worked with the Tecnológico de Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico to investigate how to transform the original 1969 library building into a more relevant and collaborative academic hub. During the course of this study it was discovered that the building was in need of a significant seismic upgrade that would be both cost prohibitive and severely limit the flexibility of the building. The university then asked Sasaki to collaborate with them to design a building that will become the leading academic library in Mexico.
The new library, situated on the site of the previous library, will embody the academic mission of the Tecnológico de Monterrey, a place where students, faculty, staff, and the region's industry leaders come together to access information, study, collaborate, and be inspired.
The ground floor of the library contains a dramatic new student plaza bracketed by a cafe, an auditorium, a gallery, and a makerspace lab. Dramatically perched above this plaza are the upper floors of the library. By placing the library above this open space, views and connections are created across the campus, and the plaza itself is shaded by the library above.
Comprising four floors of program elements, the library transitions from technology-rich collaborative study spaces at its base to quiet, contemplative study at the top. A central staircase extends from the plaza level to the rooftop, culminating in dramatic views of Cerro de la Silla, the iconic mountain that overlooks the campus.
