The new building that houses the Municipal Library and Academy for Performing Arts has been slotted into the urban fabric to enhance the characteristic irregular streets and intimate spaces of the city center, and to interact with them.

The entrance to the building is located on an intimate square between the reading cafe and the auditorium. Moving through the wide hall, the open interior landscape of the building unfolds from floor to ceiling, and cantilevered into the space are several thick concrete floors that appear to float. Hanging at varying heights, each level features bookshelves and reading tables, while looking into the atrium and towards the brick façade of the pre-existing building. Moreover, a 11.5 meter high book case stretches towards the ceiling, filled with books donated by residents of Aalst.

The concrete structures seem to be supported by books. The staircase has a sculptural presence at the periphery of the magnificent atrium and reading room. The ceilings have been minimalized to the point of being almost undetectable. All the technical systems are concealed behind a expanded metal ceiling that softens the strong daylight and creates a pleasant atmosphere during the day.

Apart from the ground floor auditorium, the Academy for Performing Arts is housed on the first two floors, flanking the reading atrium. Utopia is the living room of the city, a new landmark in the everyday lives of the citizens of Aalst.