Builders, administrators, library types and local residents celebrate opening of new University Library
With vocals, bubbles and speeches, the new University Library in the University Quarter of the UvA was festively opened on Tuesday afternoon. It was a coming and going of important library types from past and present. “This building is by and for all of us.”
It is almost impossible to determine how many University Library directors started their jobs with the prospect of eventually opening the new University Library as director, but there have been quite a few. Yesterday afternoon, almost all of them were there, but all retired: Norbert van den Berg, Nol Verhagen, Gerard Nijsten, Fred Weerman. Only Maria Heijne was absent. All of them had once started their jobs with the idea and hope that sooner or later they would be the first to head the new University Library.
Nothing of the sort: Carlos Reijnen, director of the University Library for the past six months, took the credit and gave the opening speech yesterday afternoon in the now covered former courtyard garden of the Binnengasthuis (BG), one of the two locations of the former “Academic Hospital at the University of Amsterdam”. Forty-five years after the BG moved to Zuidoost and 140 million euros later, the new University Library is now officially open, having been put into use by students on 1 September. “The village well of science,” according to Reijnen.
Culture war
It was a special afternoon, with builders, administrators, neighbours and librarians from past and present raising their glasses and toasting the successful completion of a project that took at least twenty-five years, not only because of the construction, but mainly because a real culture war broke out shortly after the turn of the century over the realisation of the new University Library, which was so desired by the UvA, although initially only intended as a library for the humanities.
The then UvA Board, led by Sijbolt Noorda (and later Karel van der Toorn), initially wanted to demolish the current historic buildings and then construct a new building, for which the Spanish architectural firm Cruz y Ortiz had already drawn up plans: a design to which Rector Peter-Paul Verbeek subtly referred yesterday afternoon when he remarked that the design had even “a turret”. It was the much-discussed “Noorda turret” that Noorda had added to the list of requirements.
Magnolia
There was considerable opposition (and cultural-historical knowledge!) from local residents – several of whom were affiliated with the UvA as employees or academics – who did not want new buildings, but rather the preservation and restoration of the monumental buildings, and were prepared to do everything in their power to achieve this: some local residents were so pissed that they had almost turned their homes into anti-library archives. A years-long battle ensued; there was even a dispute over the felling of the magnolia tree in the courtyard garden, but the municipality had already issued a demolition permit, which was declared null and void by the court, giving the UvA another opportunity to reapply for a demolition permit to the city council for a demolition permit. In the meantime, the cards had been reshuffled in the council, and the majority threatened to vote against the permit application.
Opposition had grown so strong that in 2012 the UvA decided not to submit the (new) demolition application. The Spanish architect also left in anger, leaving behind a bill for millions. A new architect was able to start afresh, with restoration and renovation as the approach. It was the firms MVSA Architects and Architectenbureau J. van Stigt that ultimately prepared the now-opened building for a new future. The neighbourhood had won and yesterday afternoon it received a standing ovation from the UvA.
Rector Verbeek reiterated how “incredible” it is that the UvA now has a new University Library. “But it didn’t happen by itself. The University Library has become a bit like the North-South subway line, but them of the UvA: endless budget overruns and a project that took much longer than planned.” But now we have something. “This building is much more than a library; it is a building full of books, but also full of data. It is a building by and for all of us,” said Verbeek.
City council
After all the commotion (also) with the municipality surrounding the creation of the new University Library and given the UvA’s position as the city’s largest employer, it was remarkable that the municipality was conspicuous by its absence yesterday: Mayor Halsema, who was to be the guest of honour, had already cancelled on Monday due to illness, but the fact that no one from the city council was available to replace her – aldermen are, after all, deputy mayors – typified, according to many attendees, the relationship between the UvA and City Hall. “Not interested in the UvA”, “lack of historical awareness on the part of the municipality”, “scandalous”, were some of the comments heard. Even education alderman and UvA alumnus Marjolein Moorman had more important things on her mind.
But that didn’t spoil the fun: four users of the University Library each told a story from a relevant book, which they then placed in an improvised bookcase, after which the countdown to the opening began. And then the counter reached zero: the UvA has a new University Library and everyone will know it, cheers! And all the glasses with champagne bubbles were raised simultaneously.
