The (new) University Library
Vendelstraat 7
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Function and facilities
Discover spaces where old and modern come together: from intimate study areas to an impressive atrium with a glass roof. The Humanities print collection is now fully housed under one roof.
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Design
MVSA Architects and Architectenbureau J. van Stigt preserved the character of the existing historic building with the addition of a spectacular glass roof and a new wing. The emphasis will be on encounters, studying and interaction. Alongside the UvA's teaching activities, the new University Library will therefore constitute one of the two main pillars of the campus.
Artist impressions of the interior
copyright MVSA Architects
Study hall with tall bookcases 
The hallway with seats 
The collaboration space in the new wing 
The former surgical theatre will become a teaching space -
History
The Binnengasthuis site in the University Quarter has a long history serving various purposes. Its past dates back to the Middle Ages, when the Oude and Nieuwe Nonnenklooster convents were located here. This area has been home to a convent, a hospital, a museum, residential housing and a university. The University of Amsterdam was founded here, as Athenaeum Illustre, in 1632.
Watch the mini-documentary about the "making of the University Library", which was also shown during the official opening on September 30, 2025.