MIT Libraries homeDome

Interior, illuminated "sitting trees" looking out towards street entrance; The original building opened in 1918. The main, south entrance facing Mariahilferstrasse was fully glazed, but this created poor acoustics and overheating in summer, heat loss in winter. The new entrance was redesigned with "sitting trees": the plastic seating elements (benches at the base) envelop all the existing steel supports and at the same time they provide treelike shade at the glazed roof. The elements are backlit and can cycle with different color accents. Founded in 1998 the three partners at Querkraft were named Young Architects of the Year in 2004 by architectural magazine BD. "Querkraft" literally translated means the art of lateral thinking. Source: Querkraft [firm website]; http://www.querkraft.at/ (accessed 4/25/2014)