Unrolling the Stockholm Public Library

Use the controls to zoom in and out of the Gigapan image. The Stockholm Public Library (Stockholms Stadsbiblioteket) was designed by legendary Swedish master architect Gunnar Asplund and finished in 1928.  It was one of the first public libraries in Europe.  The library’s notable cylindrical form make it a unique addition to the city’s varied architecture. While on an academic trip to Stockholm last summer, my professor, Pablo Garcia, suggested that I should “unroll” the library through photography and at the same time preserve a detailed look at the Stadsbiblioteket collection.  I asked the library staff for permission to use the Gigapan inside, and used it to take over 700 photographs which I later stitched together.  The resulting image successfully unrolls the cylindrical library onto a flat canvas.  The full image (featured above) is so detailed that most book titles are wholly legible, if you know Swedish, that is.

Click the image below for the full unrolled Gigapan