The Script of Songdo The Script of Songdo The Script of Songdo The Script of Songdo The Script of Songdo The Script of Songdo

"The word “library” (from the Latin liber, libr- = book) traditionally refers to a place where literary, musical, artistic, or reference materials—books, manuscripts, recordings, films—are kept for use, not for sale.

But in the digital age, where print media is rapidly becoming obsolete and the wealth of human knowledge is mostly digitized and accessible from anywhere, we must ask: Do we still need libraries? When accessing information is no longer dependent on physical spaces, what values should we preserve? How can we evolve the library while staying true to its essence?

If the purpose of a library is not merely to store knowledge but to spark it, then its role shifts from containment to connection. In this light, the library becomes a vessel for collective wisdom. And if wisdom stems from interdisciplinary collaboration rather than isolated consumption, then the library must transform into a platform for dialogue—a place where knowledge is exchanged, not simply delivered.
Yet this is not only a question of function, but of place. Songdo, a relatively new city brimming with potential, remains in formation. With fewer residents than expected, its identity remains incomplete—its urban story still unwritten.

This is where THE SCRIPT intervenes.

A library today is not just about bookshelves or books. It is a space that holds meaning—and more importantly, leaves space for meaning to be written. It is a vessel not just for content, but for creation. THE SCRIPT invites the people of Songdo to write the next chapter of the city.
At the urban scale, THE SCRIPT takes root in the evolving fabric of Songdo. As a city still forming, Songdo requires more than buildings—it needs catalysts. The library becomes one: filling the urban void with essential public programs and activating life at the street level.
Along the edge, the Songdo Shophouses act as porous storefronts—drawing in pedestrians, shaping vibrant sidewalks, and weaving human-scale interaction into the urban grid. This strategy envisions the library not only as a destination, but as an active participant in street life—fostering public space that truly belongs to the people. The block of Songdo awaits fulfillment, and THE SCRIPT offers its first line.
Approaching from the neighborhood, people pass through a shaded alley beneath the building and emerge into The Script Plaza—a gathering space that nurtures comfort, exchange, and community. More than a recreational plaza, it serves as a public square, a reading sanctuary, and an ecological ground for learning and reflection. The plaza and the building are inseparable: one supports the other, architecturally and ideologically.
The building mass is deliberately sliced to open toward the south, maximizing exposure and engagement. The façade becomes a “South Screen” for Songdo—a place for shared wisdom, for performance, for collective gathering. The main library space, facing the plaza, acts as a visual and spatial connector—blurring boundaries between the city and the mind.

To strengthen neighborhood cohesion, the Urban Room and learning facilities are positioned along the periphery, enhancing interaction and creating a convivial edge condition.
Sustainability is integral to the design. The south façade is optimized to harness sunlight—capturing solar heat to distribute warmth throughout the building. The solar roof, meanwhile, produces up to 54% of the building’s total energy needs, embedding ecological intelligence into its everyday operations.

Ultimately, THE SCRIPT is a proposal to rethink what a library can be. It challenges the conventions of learning spaces and proposes a new typology—one that says learning can happen anywhere. It invites the citizens of Songdo to co-author the city’s future, to inscribe their stories, and to shape knowledge together."