OBA x PRE-RESERVED
OBA x PRE-RESERVED
OBA x PRE-RESERVED
What does the library of the future look like? And more importantly, how should it function in a world that’s increasingly visual, hybrid, and community-led?
As part of OBA’s vision to open OBA Next in 2030 in Amsterdam Zuidoost, we were asked to translate that ambition into space: not just a library, but a cultural platform. A place where reading, research, creation, and connection happen side by side.
What does the library of the future look like? And more importantly, how should it function in a world that’s increasingly visual, hybrid, and community-led?
As part of OBA’s vision to open OBA Next in 2030 in Amsterdam Zuidoost, we were asked to translate that ambition into space: not just a library, but a cultural platform. A place where reading, research, creation, and connection happen side by side.
For six months, PRE-RESERVED developed a full spatial concept inside Studio C. Our environment became the prototype. From modular furniture to dynamic zoning, the design invited movement, dialogue, and curiosity across disciplines. Floating tables, programmable walls, and color-coded systems replaced static shelving.
The goal was to build a space that reflects how people live and learn now, not how they used to. A shift from silent stacks to fluid exchange.
Traditionally, different art forms live in different worlds. Paintings in galleries. Films in cinemas. Fashion on runways. Each offers its own uniqueness, but their separation often leaves out what matters most: the crossover of communities.
For six months, PRE-RESERVED developed a full spatial concept inside Studio C. Our environment became the prototype. From modular furniture to dynamic zoning, the design invited movement, dialogue, and curiosity across disciplines. Floating tables, programmable walls, and color-coded systems replaced static shelving.
The goal was to build a space that reflects how people live and learn now, not how they used to. A shift from silent stacks to fluid exchange.
Traditionally, different art forms live in different worlds. Paintings in galleries. Films in cinemas. Fashion on runways. Each offers its own uniqueness, but their separation often leaves out what matters most: the crossover of communities.
With PRE-RESERVED, we try to change that by creating spaces where disciplines collide and where different people can meet, connect, and get inspired. This vision feels especially suited to what libraries could become in the future: dynamic cultural platforms for exchange.
The result was more than a spatial proposal. It was a prototype for how culture, learning, and community could coexist in one dynamic setting.
This project reflects a direction we deeply believe in: activating physical space for collaboration, exchange, and unexpected discovery.
With PRE-RESERVED, we try to change that by creating spaces where disciplines collide and where different people can meet, connect, and get inspired. This vision feels especially suited to what libraries could become in the future: dynamic cultural platforms for exchange.
The result was more than a spatial proposal. It was a prototype for how culture, learning, and community could coexist in one dynamic setting.
This project reflects a direction we deeply believe in: activating physical space for collaboration, exchange, and unexpected discovery.
