Passage to Wisdom

On Grote Looiersstraat, ‘Passage to Wisdom’ forms the entrance to Maastricht University Library. The gateway, made of steel and coloured glass, was designed by the Czech artist Bořek Šípek and marks the transition from the city to the university. As such, it is not only an entrance to the library but also a work of art in the public space.

A link between the city and the university
The gateway was commissioned by Universiteit Maastricht Art and Heritage Committee. Through this design, the university aimed to make the library’s entrance more visible and to emphasise the connection between the university, the city and its visitors.

The name ‘Gateway to Wisdom’ refers to the convergence of knowledge and education. Everyone who visits the library literally passes through this symbolic gateway to a place where study, research and the development of knowledge take centre stage.

Design
Bořek Šípek was renowned for his expressive designs, in which glass, steel and organic forms feature regularly. These characteristics are also clearly visible in ‘Doorgang naar de Wijsheid’. Colourful, hand-blown glass elements in the form of flowers, leaves and fantastical shapes have been incorporated into the slender steel structure.
A distinctive feature of the design is the movable central section of the gateway. During the library’s opening hours, this tilts upwards, altering the appearance of the artwork and causing the glass elements to protrude above the passageway.

What is there to see?
The gateway consists of a slender steel structure featuring hand-blown glass elements in the shape of flowers, leaves and fantastical forms. Thanks to its open structure and movable central section, the gateway’s silhouette changes throughout the day. As such, the gateway serves both as an entrance to the library and as a work of art in the public space.