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The library is a simple volume that consists of a cube [24x24x24]. It becomes a transition element between the big avenue in front of the site, the park and the public square that is designed towards the urban tissue side. The volume’s position responds to the street alignment. The library becomes a ‘connecting rod’ urban space between the city and the park. On one side, the square gives urban public space to the citizen for public gathering; on the other, the library itself acts as an urban milestone.
The measurements of the building are given by
the road setback application. The 4 story tall building is situated within the
plot so that it can become a cube-shaped library.
The building’s enclosure consists of two layers
of glass: U-Glass on the outside and a 6+6+12+6+6 glass that surrounds the
whole building. This allows the library not only to ‘open up’ to the city but
also to let enough light inside to the different spaces inside.
This is when the sustainability of the building
comes into play. The two layers of glass allow to naturally control the
library’s temperature. In summer the library’s enclosure becomes a ventilated
façade allowing the air to flow through the inner space and thus, cooling the
building down. In winter, the façade vents are closed and no air can flow
through. This creates a greenhouse effect in the enclosure radiating heat to
the inside of the building. This results in a decreasing use energy: less use
of cooling systems in summer and less use of heating systems in winter.
The bookshelves surround the reader and act as
a light filter between the outside and inside of the building. The bookshelves
consist of stainless steel plates which form a solid structure for the
building: books are stored ‘inside’ the structure’.
The bookshelves are designed to be located at
the perimeter of the building liberating as much space as possible to the use
of the library itself. The bookshelves access is made through a ring that goes
around the perimeter. The user using this space will be in direct contact with
the outside due to the glass walls. This ring also separates the user that is
looking for a book from the one that is reading or studying inside the main
space reducing noise and increasing the library’s comfort.
For a library to function properly, the private
and public spaces should not interfere with each other. However, these two
spaces should be closely linked and connected. The strategy used is a
negative-positive scheme where the private use is done in a concave space
whereas the public uses the building in a convex way. The concave space is
inserted in the convex one providing enough isolation of building use but
proper visual and physical connection. The library space is generated by the
dialog between these two antonymous spaces and where the private space defines
the public space and vice versa.
The multifunction room, with its own access,
and the preservation room become the main private spaces inside the core of the
building whereas the administration office as well as the Culture and lifelong
study space are located outside the library’s volume. The main reading room is
overwhelmed by the presence of all the books and knowledge that surround the
reader. The open user space is organized in between these private spaces and
the bookshelves.
