26 March 2025
Building the new university library required a combination of classical architecture, new construction and future-ready technology. The original listed buildings once served as a hospital, the Binnengasthuis, and had to be remodelled into a future-proof building in an area suffused with the history of the city of Amsterdam and the University of Amsterdam. This modern library, the university decided, would put meeting others and sharing knowledge centre stage.
Our new library of the future has a rich history. As early as 1578 a "city library" was founded in Amsterdam, with books and manuscripts from Roman Catholic churches and other institutions in the city. In 1632, the collection was moved to the attic of the Agnite Chapel and used by the Athenaeum Illustre, the predecessor of the University of Amsterdam. This, essentially, is when the university library was born. The University of Amsterdam was founded in 1877, and the university library moved to the Singel soon after, in 1881. Almost 150 years later, the university library will find itself back on its native soil, in the University Quarter, barely a stone's throw from where the original library was built. From a city library with less than 1,000 books to a modern library with kilometres worth of materials and digital access to millions of resources worldwide.
Needless to say, working on a listed building in the historical, densely built-up city centre of Amsterdam presented certain challenges.
Curious how the new library took shape? In episode 1 of the "Making of the new university library," we'll give you a brief glimpse into the creation of the new university library.
Want to know more about the accessibility of the collections and when the UB Singel and the Library P.C. Hoofthuis will close?