The Conversion of a Science Institute to a Faculty Library in Ghent, Belgium
The Faculteit Letteren en Wijsbegeerte/Faculty of Arts and Philosophy of
Universiteit Gent/Ghent University held 50 different library collections, containing
670,000 books, which were scattered over 222 different locations in the city of
Ghent. The dispersed collections were a legacy of the former seminar instruction
method favoured by many professors in the past and no longer met the needs of
academic research and education in the 21st century. A masterplan was developed
to bring the collections together. Central to the plan was the renovation of the
historic neoclassical building known as the Institut des Sciences/Institute for the
Sciences dating from 1892. The project included both the renovation of the building
and the amalgamation of all 50 collections under one roof. A primary concern
during the renovation process was finding the appropriate balance between the
requirements of historic building conservation and the needs of a modern library.
After more than ten years of preparation, planning, restoration and relocation,
the large new faculty library was opened with much celebration in 2018. The new
library in its historic building, with 13 km of bookshelves, 8,000 m² and 1,000
study places, showcases the spirit of the faculty.
Files in this item
