The building nestled at the end of a rotary and located across from the Lecture Hall (former Ethics Hall) served as the library of the First Higher School of Tokyo (Ichikou) and the University of Tokyo’s College of Arts and Sciences during the College’s early stages. This structure featured a two-story viewing room with high ceilings and large parabolic arches; there were also four levels of book stacks in the building. It is believed that the busts of two foreign teachers, Arivet and Putzier, were originally placed close to the former library in the gardens on its northern and southern sides. Construction began on the building in March 1934 and was completed in February of the next year. Currently, this building houses the Komaba Museum, which is the combination of an art museum and a museum of natural science.
