The small town of Waterford is idyllically set on the banks of the River Suir in south-east Ireland. Showing great sensibility towards the existing fabric, the architects have converted the old Carnegie Library, which opened in 1905, and complemented it with a new structure, increasing the floor area from 730m2 to 2,100m2. The old and new sections are clearly legible in the facade. Internally, too, the new parts of the building, with their concrete walls and black-walnut linings, are immediately recognizable. The dark wood and leather armchairs in the bright atrium help to create a most agreeable atmosphere. Here in the morning, people of all ages congregate to read the newspapers and drink coffee. Children participate in numerous activities; adolescents come to listen to CDs; and young adults work on the computer and surf on the Internet free of charge. Books can also be taken out, of course. The open-shelf section of the library, with roughly 74,000 media items, is distributed over all four floors. Nevertheless, one has the impression that most visitors are not there to borrow books. They come to read on the premises, to meet and talk to other people: quite simply to spend some of their time in their own new library.