Dulwich Senior School Library + IB

Seoul, Korea | 2024
[ AIA South Korea Award ]

The DCSL Senior School Library and IB Centre create a diverse ecosystem of learning environments for students preparing for university and a global society. In an urban school where space is limited, the two programs work synergistically: the Library combines a dense core of references with learning spaces at varied scales, while the IB Centre serves as a flexible “home base” for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.

At the Library’s heart, immersive book stacks surround a “keyhole” of individual study seats, encouraging immediate engagement with books. A curved community table and smaller study rooms support different modes of individual and group learning. The “Shackleton Stadium,” inspired by a public amphitheater, links the Library and IB Centre and can open to accommodate gatherings and presentations.

Reading bays, writable surfaces, a café, and faculty areas further support informal exchange and guidance. Together with natural daylight and focused task lighting, the interconnected spaces allow students to move fluidly between concentration, collaboration, and social interaction, nurturing the self-guided learning essential for their next stage of education.