| The Main Library on Vienna's inner-city ring road, the | | | | renovated a few years ago - it conveys a |
| G?rtel, was built in line with structural principles | | | | cosmopolitan feeling and signals free access to the |
| completely new in Austria's library landscape, a | | | | knowledge stored in the library. The caf?s in the glass |
| concept known as the "fractal library". The so-called | | | | rotunda represent casual and communicative urbanity. |
| college model, consisting of six spatially separate | | | | The library, 150 meters long and 26 meters wide, |
| departmental areas, forms the core of the Main | | | | offers a usable area of 6,000 square meters and |
| Library. The six college teams are independently | | | | provides access to 240,000 pieces of print as well as |
| responsible for the administration of their respective | | | | to 60,000 electronic media items. Libraries in Vienna |
| areas in terms of inventory development and | | | | are a customer-oriented service organization with a |
| maintenance as well as customer information. | | | | vast range of up-to-date quality media to choose from |
| The Vienna main library, the radio chips store | | | | plus specific advisory services for all their users. The |
| information such as copy number, author, library code, | | | | libraries were established by the City of Vienna as a |
| location in the library, systematic group, last individual | | | | major source of information and education and to |
| who checked out the book, status as well as | | | | promote cultural and leisure time activities. They are |
| completeness information for media packages. | | | | part of a worldwide network of libraries. |
| One of the most fascinating facets of the new Main | | | | With its new Main Library the City of Vienna |
| Library of the City Libraries is the view through its vast | | | | participates in the international boom in library |
| glass facades – Kahlenberg, Leopoldsberg and | | | | construction by promoting a trend-setting project. |
| large parts of the Vienna Woods seem close enough | | | | Choosing a huge circular traffic artery of Vienna as |
| to touch. Spacious library rooms with Internet and audio | | | | location for a new main library, Vienna has set specific |
| stations, reading nooks and a caf? are conducive to | | | | standards and requirements for both architecture and |
| reading and reflecting. | | | | city planning. Director Mr. Alfred Pfoser introduces the |
| Directly above the underground station | | | | architectural ideas of the building and its organisation. |
| Burggasse-Stadthalle one finds the new library, opened | | | | He describes the concerns and implications of placing |
| in 2003 and created by architect Ernst Mayr. A | | | | a new main library in an area of tension, which has |
| supporting structure spanning three stories makes the | | | | become the special object of town planning and |
| building look as if it were suspended above the tracks | | | | redevelopment. |
| of the old Otto Wagner station pavilions. It is located | | | | Its pleasing design, long opening hours, reading areas |
| directly between the two lanes of the Vienna "G?rtel," | | | | and work stations for the different media will make |
| one of the busiest roads of the city. | | | | you want to stay a while. Take a break from the |
| The generous open staircase of the library connects | | | | books and enjoy splendid views of Vienna from the |
| to the roof of Urban-Loritz square, which was | | | | caf? on the roof. |