The New National Library in Prague

THEME: The New National Library in Prague

I. Read, write and learn the following words and word combinations:

“Every great architect – necessarily – a great poet. He must be a great original interpreter of his time, his day, his age.” 

                                                                      Frank Lloyd Wright

extraordinary надзвичайний

plateau плато

dimensional просторовий

unpolished неполірований

curvature  викривлення

tile черепиця, кахель

angles кути                                                                          

ramp пандус

realm  сфера

reference посилання

stainless steel wings крила з нержавіючої сталі

anodized aluminium анодований алюміній

spectacular view захоплюючий вид

Read and translate the text.

The extraordinary design of the new building of the National Library in Prague, that comes from Jan Kaplicky and his studio Future Systems, is considered to be one of the most original designs nowadays. Prague may join other metropolises that are decorated with modern designs of famous architects. The New National Library of the Czech Republic is situated within a large green site on the Letna plateau in Prague. The 40.000 sqm building is placed on a white unpolished marble platform, with mirror finished stainless steel wings lifted up the perimeter edges to reflect the building from different angles. The architecture of the proposed building is a three dimensional object shaped to minimize the volume and to extend the views over the surrounding tree level. Some people compare the design to a purple octopus. Its unique form and curvature is a reference to baroque buildings in Prague. The skin is covered with champagne coloured anodized aluminium tiles fading from dark at the bottom to light at the top. Generous levels of natural light in all public spaces are provided by circular areas of glazing distributed over the external skin. Special features inside the building include the top level viewing platform and café with spectacular views over Prague, comfortable and colourful reading rooms, the first level ‘street’ which continues the public realm through ramps and stairs from the street and park inside the building, and the educational viewing well to the automated book storage. The estimated volume of 10 million books stored underground are distributed by an Automated Storage and Retrieval System and reach the reader in less than 5 minutes. On the day of its completion in 2011, the New National Library of the Czech Republic will be one of the most modern Libraries in the world.

Look through the list of building materials and say which of them were used in the construction of the National Library in Prague.

aluminium  brick  ceramics  clay concrete glass gravel granite

iron limestone marble plastic rubber sand steel stone wood

Match the opposites:

1. strong a) rigid

2. elastic b) opaque

3. transparent c) plastic

4. flexible d) water-resistant

5. hard e) heavy

6. absorbent f) weak

7. light g) soft