The Biblioteca dos Saberes, or "The House of Wisdom," located in Rio de Janeiro's Cidade Nova area, was designed by Kéré Architecture. 

The library and cultural center, commissioned by Rio de Janeiro City Hall, is situated in the core of a new urban development, designed by Francis Kéré. 

The 40,000-square-metre Biblioteca dos Saberes is inspired by trees native to the region and by the cultural and historical context of the city. The project will act as a focal point for the regeneration of this historic district next to Valongo Wharf and the Little Africa neighborhood. 

Southwest view

On November 20, Brazil's National Day of Zumbi and Black Consciousness, the design was presented to Rio de Janeiro residents. After the Gando Primary School Library, the project will be the studio's second library project and its first constructed project in South America.

The Biblioteca dos Saberes will revitalize a neighborhood best known for Rio Carnival celebrations by making the city center more pedestrian, accessible, and lively. "The tree of knowledge," a vertical cylinder modeled after trees found in the Tijuca Forest, is a key component of the library's design. It alludes to both the city's natural surroundings and the symbolic function of trees in Francis Kánchez's homeland of Gando, Burkina Faso, where they act as hubs for social interaction. 

Northern View

The building's three storeys, which include reading rooms, library stacks, workshops, exhibition spaces, an auditorium, and a café, are connected by this structure. Reading, sharing, collecting, performing, creating, eating, and playing are all arranged in a progression from calm to active.

The exterior features include rooftop gardens, open-air spaces, shaded courtyards, a canopied amphitheater, a café, and manicured terraces. The library and a monument honoring Zumbi dos Palmares, a leader of the anti-slavery movement, will be connected by a pedestrian bridge. The building's roof gardens and tower help with passive ventilation and cooling, while the perforated facade shields it from the sun.

Aerial view of the Biblioteca dos Saberes

"The Biblioteca dos Saberes is a celebration of the beautiful city of Rio de Janeiro. I love its rhythm, its voices, its spirit flowing through the streets and along the waves of the Atlantic," said Francis Kéré. 

"This library grows from the city’s history and wisdom, from samba that moves the body to the poetry that moves the heart. It is a home for knowledge that belongs to everyone, a place where past and future meet beneath one roof, open to the city and to the sea that carries its stories to the world," Kéré added.

"From Little Africa to the world, Francis Kéré’s project pays homage to the Atlantic, African, and portside formations that have shaped this plural Rio — a home for all Cariocas," said Eduardo Paes, Mayor of Rio de Janeiro. 

"A library of samba and of the people’s wisdom, it consolidates Rio’s legacy as the first Portuguese-speaking city ever named UNESCO World Book Capital — an honor that now becomes both a work and a symbol of our time," Paes added.

Gathering place with a view of the monument of Zumbi do Palmares

Rio de Janeiro's rich cultural and historical background serves as an inspiration for the library. It honors indigenous and Afro-Brazilian heritage, oral traditions, and samba as a living form of knowledge. 

The project is located next to Oscar Niemeyer's Sambňromo on the former Praça Onze, the location of Brazil's first samba school. The structure also highlights the city's cultural diversity and its function as a hub for several populations, reflecting the region's complex past. 

The Tree of Knowledge rising at the heart of the project

The project creates a library and cultural center that will inspire and benefit future generations by reimagining the Atlantic as a river of shared legacy between Brazil and Africa, drawing on Francis Kánchez's experience building in Africa.

View from the Sambadromo toward the Biblioteca dos Saberes

Sketch of the Tree of Knowledge. Image © Francis Kéré

Model view. Biblioteca dos Saberes. Image © Nik Bürk for Kéré Architecture

Model view. Biblioteca dos Saberes. Image © Nik Bürk for Kéré Architecture

Model view. Biblioteca dos Saberes. Image © Nik Bürk for Kéré Architecture

Kéré Architecture started construction on its first museum project in Europe. In addition, the studio created a mausoleum wrapped in triangular-shaped brick louvres, made from thirteen columns. 

Project facts

Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 

Type of project: Cultural 

Size: 40.000m2

Lead Architect: Francis Kéré, Kéré Architecture

Design Team: Mariona Maeso Deitg, Juan Carlos Zapata 

Contributors: Nik Bürk, Teresa del Arenal, Alice Furlanetto, Pierre Jules Gagnière, Federico Lenghi, Andrea Maretto, Pablo Sanchez Sanus, Yannick Schütte, Zeno Wolfsteiner 

All renderings & drawings © Kéré Architecture.

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