A library’s public role does not stop at its doors. In Kirkkonummi, near Helsinki, JKMM Architects made the edge of the building part of its relationship with the town: a sheltered terrace runs for 50 metres, looking towards the churchyard opposite.
The project transforms the existing library, now called Fyyri. Alongside the medieval stone church and nearby open market, it belongs to a cluster of places that forms Kirkkonummi’s civic centre. The terrace gives that setting architectural weight, turning the view towards a neighbour into a long, protected outdoor space.
Copper shingles bring another layer of context. In the architects’ account, the cladding refers to the area’s maritime heritage. But the more direct civic gesture is spatial: the library addresses the churchyard rather than treating its boundary as a back edge.
Fyyri suggests a modest test for public architecture: what does a building contribute to the space between institutions, as well as to the activities inside?
Architecture: JKMM Architects. Photography: Tuomas Uusheimo.