Library Archives

Dezeen Debate features Snøhetta library with a “feeling of extravagance”

The latest edition of our Dezeen Debate newsletter features Beijing City Library in China by Snøhetta. Subscribe to Dezeen Debate now.

The Beijing City Library in China, designed by Norwegian studio Snøhetta, features a glass-lined structure punctuated by towering tree-like columns and rooms disguised as hills.

Commenters analysed the structure closely, with one characterising it as having a “feeling of extravagance” while also criticising it by suggesting: “It can only mean massive expenditure.”

Another observer perceived it as “borrowing heavily” from Frank Lloyd Wright’s SC Johnson Wax HQ.

Space Perspective completes capsule for balloon-powered “journey to the edge of space”

Other stories in this week’s newsletter that fired up the comments section included space tourism company Space Perspective’s test capsule for its Neptune spacecraft, a high-protein food by scientists from South Korea’s Yonsei University and Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza’s extension of his 1999 Serralves Museum project in Porto.

Dezeen Debate

Dezeen Debate is sent every Thursday and features a selection of the best reader comments and most talked-about stories. Read the latest edition of Dezeen Debate or subscribe here.

You can also subscribe to our other newsletters; Dezeen Agenda is sent every Tuesday containing a selection of the most important news highlights from the week, Dezeen Daily is our daily bulletin that contains every story published in the preceding 24 hours and Dezeen In Depth is sent on the last Friday of every month and delves deeper into the major stories shaping architecture and design.

Reference

Interior Design

Studio Hinge creates library spaces beneath tree-like wooden columns

By Zarkon Group,30/10/2023

Indian practice Studio Hinge has completed Forest of Knowledge, a library in Mumbai that sits beneath a tree-like canopy of latticed wood.

The library was designed for the Cricket Club of India, a member’s club dating back to the 1930s that is housed in an art deco building in southern Mumbai.

Forest pf Knowledge library — Columns were created to resemble tree trunks

Adapting the third floor of this building, Studio Hinge looked to recreate the feeling of “sitting under a tree with a book” by reimagining the structure’s concrete columns as tree trunks.

Alongside, a former Zumba studio has been updated to be used as a flexible space for book clubs, film screenings and workshops.

Library interior in India — Circular bookshelves sit underneath the “canopy”

“India experienced one of the harshest and most sudden covid lockdowns in the world, and a lot of the design of the library was developed during this time, during which it was clear that people were yearning to meet and share ideas in person again,” explained the studio.

“On a conceptual level, the design draws from nature, in particular the notion of sitting under a tree with a book, and also borrows from the beautiful canopy formed by the ficus and gulmohar trees to be found in the adjacent street,” it continued.

Wooden shelving in Forest of Knowledge — The shelves are connected by plank-covered steel frames

A steel frame covered with small wooden planks lines each of the concrete columns.

This integrates shelving and extends upwards to create arched forms across the ceiling that are then connected in areas with a wooden lattice.

Curving bookshelves have been organised in a circle at the base of each column, with seating areas at the edges of the floor plate creating a variety of different conditions and atmospheres for visitors.

On the library’s floor, custom terrazzo tiles feature a pattern of green “leaves” with a circle of wooden flooring used at the base of each column.

Visitor at library in Mumbai — The floor was decorated with a leaf pattern

“Care has been taken to ensure no bookshelf in the open space is taller than 1.2m,” explained Studio Hinge.

“This allows maximum natural light to permeate deep into the plan and for most adults to have an unobstructed view whilst standing, while creating sheltered semi-private nooks to sit and read in,” it added.

“It also provides a very different perception of the library for children, from whose vantage the space between the circular bookshelves is playful, almost labyrinthine in nature.”

Multipurpose room in Forest of Knowledge library — A ceiling of timber planks adds interest to the multipurpose room

In the multipurpose room, the ceiling has been finished with an undulating pattern of timber planks and the walls lined with cabinets to maximise storage.

Forest of Knowledge was recently longlisted in the workplace interior (small) category of Dezeen Awards 2023.

Elsewhere in Mumbai, The Act of Quad recently converted a former library into its own interior design studio, with a see-through facade of perforated, white metal sheets and Malik Architecture transformed an ice factory into an events space.

The photography is by Suryan + Dang.

Project credits:

Design team: Interior Architecture – Studio Hinge, Pravir Sethi, Chintan Zalavadiya
Lighting design: Studio Trace, Tripti Sahni
MEP: ARKK Consultants

Reference

Architecture

Serpentine Bookhouse library by Atelier Xi “unfolds like a scroll painting”

By Zarkon Group,24/09/2023

The spiral shape of a conch shell informed the Serpentine Bookhouse in Shenzhen, China, a library that has been designed by local architecture studio Atelier Xi.

Located in the Dasha River Ecological Corridor, the 300-square-metre building by Atelier Xi provides a children’s reading room, public restrooms and a viewing balcony with seating areas for visitors and residents.

Serpentine Bookhouse by Atelier Xi — Atelier Xi has created Serpentine Bookhouse

“The building performs like a rising spiral art sculpture, returning as much ground spaces as possible for plant growth and tourist activities,” founding principal Chen Xi told Dezeen.

“The spiral spatial structure both shapes the interior terraces and creates a 360-panoramic view of the surrounding landscape through expansive windows,” he continued.

Atelier Xi created the structure’s distinctive shape using a steel framework of Vierendeel trusses – a truss with no diagonal members – and tensile reinforcement.

This structure allows the inner and outer edges of the spiral to be lined entirely with full-height windows, providing a changing view of the surrounding landscape as visitors move up the building.

“The starting point of the spiral touches ground, meandering among the trees,” Xi told Dezeen. “Meanwhile, the second floor at the end of the spiral path eventually opens up the vista, offering a different perspective overlooking the park.”

“For visitors, walking along the interior space provides a view that unfolds continuously, elevating their perspective like an unrolling scroll painting,” he added.

High-level windows provide cross-ventilation to the interior, with sun-shading provided by vertical aluminium louvres that cover the building.

A staircase wraps the inner wall of the spiral, while the outer wall is lined with bookcases that are aligned to a series of stepped platforms.

At the top, wood-framed glass doors open onto a small, sheltered balcony area with seating overlooking the landscape.

Each end of the spiral, as well as its underside, has been finished with panels of corten steel that were chosen to mirror the colour of the wooden finishes used throughout the interior.

“Aluminum is chosen for the sunshade grille to ensure durability in the hot coastal climate, and is finished with a color scheme closely resembling the wood tones used in the interior,” explained Xi.

“Corten steel plates with darker color are used as facade end caps, symbolizing the beginning and end of the spatial movement inside,” he added.

Atelier Xi chose to retain the existing pathways surrounding the building and introduce new planting and a concrete bench that sits beneath the spiral, sheltered by its upper storey.

The Serpentine Bookhouse was recently longlisted in the civic project category of Dezeen Awards 2023. Fluid forms feature regularly in the work of Atelier Xi, with previous projects including a sculptural pavilion in rural China and a curving concrete extension to an abandoned library.

The photography is by Zhang Chao.

Reference

Architecture

Architectural Details: Adjaye Associate’s Winter Park Library Is a “Village of Knowledge”

By Zarkon Group,03/04/2023

Judging for the 11th A+Awards is now underway! While awaiting the Winners, prepare for the upcoming Architizer Vision Awards, honoring the best architectural photography, film, visualizations, drawings, models and the talented creators behind them. Learn more and register >

Great civic buildings resonate with people and place. Between vaulted rooflines and sweeping windows, the Winter Park Library in Florida was inspired both by local fauna and the region’s vernacular architecture. Adjaye Associates teamed up with HuntonBrady Architects to create a series of arched pavilions with a porous relationship between interior and exterior for the library and events center. The project’s signature rose-colored precast was brought to life through careful coordination with manufacturers and consultants to create a “village of knowledge.”

The library’s design team aspired to establish a new civic and cultural hub on the northwest corner of Martin Luther King, Jr. Park in Winter Park, Florida. The library was made to embody the values of the park’s namesake as a space for community empowerment. Seven years in the making, the project spans 50,000 square feet across a trio of canted pavilions.

The “village” includes a new two-story library, an event center with rooftop terrace, as well as a new welcome portico to unify the three structures. Each has a different scale and function, but they share a common formal language inspired by Winter Park’s extensive tree canopy.

Arches establish the form of the pavilions, where compound, convex exterior walls are made with a series of scalloping, frond-like patterns. The volumes of the library, events center, and porte cochère come very close to touching. Hoping to draw light deep into the new library, the team created the angled exterior walls that lean outward as they rise from the base.

The rose-pigmented architectural precast concrete was developed with GATE Precast, who fabricated the complex panels framing the arched openings on each façade. The façade alludes to Florida vegetation while establishing durability in a tropical, hurricane-prone environment.

For the precast façade, it was determined that concrete was the only cladding material that could achieve the quality and durability needed for the exterior walls. The texture, color, aggregates and concrete matrix were carefully selected for aesthetics, durability and low maintenance. The curved walls are realized with back-up framing made up of structural steel.

In turn, a series of sloping, arched curtainwalls in the enclosed buildings meet the curved, solid surfaces. The architects mirrored the concrete edge to create continuous seating along the curtain wall. Shallow foundations are used to support the building loads, while the elevated floor and roof are framed using structural steel beams and girders.

The site’s physical constraints required efficient use of space for the buildings, the belvedere and parking. The team worked with TLC Engineering General to form the façade and the shaded indoor-outdoor spaces. They evaluated several structural and envelope systems including concrete and steel, cast-in-place concrete and precast concrete cladding.

The diverse program includes flexible floor plates for both the library and events center, maximizing adaptability for each. All three pavilions rest on a raised belvedere that provides views onto Lake Mendsen and exterior green community spaces that run between the structures.

The library has become a place where the entire community can interact, learn and gather. Inside, open spaces are framed by four timber-lined cores that contain Winter Park’s historical and archival collection spaces, support zones, and private reading rooms. Designing with the community in mind, the event center was made with a flexible auditorium space and a rooftop terrace that offers views of the lakeside park setting.

Creating parity between the civic library space and the commercially focused event center, both buildings feature a signature sculptural stair. As monumental as it is grounded in its context, the Winter Park Library and Events Center is an ensemble made possible through a diverse team with shared values. The new landmark was made possible through bold ideas and thoughtful detailing alike.

Reference

Interior Design

Superkül renovates reading room at Toronto’s brutalist Robarts Library

By Zarkon Group,12/03/2023

Canadian studio Superkül has updated the reading room at the University of Toronto’s Robarts Library, a notable example of brutalist architecture.

The project involved renovating the cavernous concrete space on the building’s fourth floor, as part of the university’s larger initiative to revitalise the Robarts Library, which Superkül described as “one of North America’s most significant examples of brutalist architecture”.

Brutalist concrete library interior — The Brutalist concrete Robarts Library was built in 1973

Completed in 1973, the John P Robarts Research Library was designed by local architecture studio Mathers & Haldenby.

It is both the largest individual library at the University of Toronto and the largest academic library building in Canada.

New wooden seating elements — Superkül updated the spaces to better serve contemporary learning needs

As an important facility for students and faculty, the reading and study spaces required upgrades to meet contemporary learning styles and equipment, while remaining respectful to the heritage-listed architecture.

The project also needed to connect the original brutalist structure with the adjacent Robarts Common extension, completed by Diamond Schmitt Architects in September 2022.

Individual study stations — A variety of individual study stations were added to the double-height space

“We were tasked with an ambitious goal: to convert the space into a superior contemporary environment for quiet study, collaboration, and digital scholarship in a manner that complements the building’s exalted architectural language and supports accessibility, diversity, and wellness,” said Superkül.

Spread throughout the 20,300-square-foot (1,886-square-metre), double-height space are individual study areas, new digital stations, consultation rooms and two light therapy zones.

Concrete structure meets new insertions — Natural materials were chosen to bring warmth to the concrete building

Particular attention was paid to accessibility, through the addition of inclusive study spots that allow users to adjust desk heights, seating configurations and lighting for their needs.

“We also emphasised clear sightlines and intuitive wayfinding in a symmetrical layout to promote easy navigation,” said Superkül.

The studio worked with a team of acoustic specialists to create a sound-dampening system using perforated wood and metal panelling, designed to blend in with the interior architecture.

This scheme allows communal study groups to converse without disturbing other students.

Study areas — Particular attention was paid to accessibility, through the addition of inclusive study spots

For the new elements, a variety of natural materials were chosen to add warmth to the concrete building, including custom-designed bronze screens and details that play on existing motifs.

“To honour the distinctive geometry and materiality that make Robarts Library such a prodigious icon, we hewed closely to an overarching objective: create a robust and respectful design that honours the existing architecture and complements the library’s other spaces,” the studio said.

Communal work tables — An acoustic-dampening system was created to prevent communal study sessions distracting from quiet work

Also at the University of Toronto, studios Kohn Shnier and ERA Architects recently renovated the historic University College building to make it more accessible.

Superkül’s previous projects have included an all-white vacation home in the Ontario countryside.

The photography is by Doublespace.

Project credits:

Architect: Superkül
Structural engineer: Entuitive
Mechanical and electrical engineer: HH Angus
Acoustics: Aercoustics
Cost: Marshall & Murray
Code and safety: LRI

Reference

Architecture

fria folket organizes house in sweden around an extensive library

By Zarkon Group,11/01/2023

Library House by Fria Folket

Architectural studio Fria Folket has designed ‘Library House’ for a ceramist and a lawyer with an extensive book collection. Located on the edge of a sparse pine forest by Lake Voxsjoen in Sweden, the building is organized around a library that frames a small courtyard and is designed to provide spaces for comfortable living, working, and creative activities.

‘Having different needs and rhythms and at the same time enjoying each other’s company and presence – the couple wanted a house where they could find peace to work individually without entirely screening each other off.’ lead architect Hanna Michelson explains.

the building is organized around a library that frames a small courtyard | all images courtesy of Fria Folket

a library that acts as the heart and bloodstream of the project

In response to the couple’s wishes, Fria Folket (find more here) composed a house with a centrally located library in the form of a book gallery. The north, east and west facades are closed off from the surroundings with a few carefully selected views, while the south side opens onto the lake.

Four gabled buildings complement the central library, each solving its own specific part of the program in accordance with the adjacent area. The east building houses the cooking and gardening areas, while the south building serves as the arts and crafts area. The western building covers law, science, and music, and the northern building houses the areas for rest and recreation, meditation, and self-development. By linking the volumes together – both thematically and systematically – the library acts as the heart and bloodstream of the project.

the small courtyard in the heart of the residence

following the course of the sun

The four houses are arranged in the order of the sun’s course, with the beginning point of the house, that is, the entrance, coinciding with the beginning point of the day in the east. Moving through the house, the sun finally rests in the north, just like the house.

The degree of privacy follows the same loop. From the most social rooms, hallway and kitchen, to the most private rooms at the end of the circle. The clockwise movement is encouraged by the arrangement of the windows, which give a view of the surroundings when you walk clockwise, while counterclockwise you see the closed bookshelf walls. Four doors, one in each corner of the book gallery, provide access to the courtyard from all parts of the house, making it easy to move between inside and outside.

four gabled buildings complement the central library, each solving its own specific part of the program

simple materials complement the library’s broad color spectrum

The strong square boundary provided by the bookshelves and the transparency of the glazed enclosure of the courtyard reinforce the impression that the library transcends the climate envelope, making the courtyard an open-air reading space – A space defined by its purpose rather than its physical boundaries.

Given the library’s broad color spectrum, the interior materials are spare and simple. From the blonde palette of white, whitewashed pine and natural pine, the ceramic tile floor stands out with its warm brick-red color. In the pursuit of sustainability, the home was adapted to the family’s existing furniture to reduce the need for new purchases and replacements. For example, the iconic Ikea ‘Billy’ bookshelf played a key role in determining the dimensions of the home, as it houses the existing library.

the four houses are arranged in the order of the sun’s course

To reduce the ecological footprint, the walls and roofs were built without plastic and insulated with flax fiber, as is common in the area. The facade is clad in untreated pine from a local sawmill, and the concrete-free foam glass foundation was made from recycled glass.

Rainwater from the roof is collected in an underground tank that supplies water to the greenhouse. Following old Nordic building traditions, one of the studios was constructed in such a way that it can be separated from the rest of the house in terms of heating. This provides the opportunity to downsize the house when the temperature drops. A certain rhythm permeates the house, as the grid of the structure is reflected in the load-bearing glass partitions, which were made by a local window carpentry store. ‘Like bar lines in a sheet of music, the mullions divide the bookshelves like beats in a bar.’ the architects share.

given the library’s broad color spectrum, the interior materials are spare and simple

glass openings connect the interior to the courtyard which serves as an open-air reading space

Reference

Sustainable News

Macdonald Wright Architects creates low-energy Library House in London

By Zarkon Group,24/10/2022

London studio Macdonald Wright Architects has created the low-energy and heavily insulated Library House on an infill plot in Hackney.

Designed as a rental property for studio founder James Macdonald Wright, the two-storey home was built on a four-metre-wide plot, which was previously used as a junkyard adjacent to the listed Clapton Library.

Exterior of infill house in Clapton — Macdonald Wright Architects has created a house on an infill plot in Hackney

The aim of the project was to demonstrate how an affordable, low-energy house could be created using simple yet robust materials.

Macdonald Wright Architects wanted to use the opportunity to study the energy performance of the home, which has the same footprint as “the average UK dwelling”, to inform its future projects.

Kitchen with wooden cabinets — The dwelling is heavily insulated and low energy

Working with certified Passivhaus designer Conker Conservation, the studio created Library House to meet the Association for Environment Conscious Building (AECB) standard.

The standard focuses on using simple techniques and technologies to reduce the operational carbon dioxide emissions of a building by 70 per cent when compared to the average UK structure of the same size and typology.

Interior of Library House by Macdonald Wright Architects — The material palette was chosen to be simple yet robust

“We selected the AECB route over Passivhaus because it offered a more practical and affordable route to achieving excellent performance,” the studio’s founder told Dezeen.

“The AECB Building Standard is aimed at those wishing to create high-performance buildings using widely available technology,” Macdonald Wright explained.

Wooden staircase and landing — Douglas fir and spruce detailing features throughout

This standard was met by creating a heavily insulated external envelope for the dwelling, teamed with a Passivhaus-rated front door and triple glazed windows and roof lights.

To retain heat, the house also makes use of mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR). It achieves an airtightness of 1.3 [email protected], which is significantly less than UK building regulations that require airtightness of 10 [email protected] or less. This refers to the number of air changes per hour at a pressure difference of 50 pascals.

Kitchen with stone flooring and wooden cabinets — All the windows are triple glazed

The dwelling is complete with an electric boiler for top-up heating and a photovoltaic array, from which surplus electricity is supplied to the national grid.

Since completion, the house has been occupied by private tenants. However, the electricity bill has been monitored and paid for by Macdonald Wright Architects.

The studio has calculated that the “operational energy for heating the house is a tenth of the requirement of a new build house under current building standards”.

Visually, the Library House is designed to mirror the proportions, styles and details of the neighbouring red brick library and a row of white cottages.

Lime-pointed white brickwork is teamed with a russet-hued Corten steel panel outside, which incorporates the front door and perforated solar shading for the first floor.

Corten steel door of Library House — The russet-hued front door is Passivhaus-rated

Materials used throughout Library House were selected to minimise the need for maintenance and reduce the embodied-carbon footprint of the dwelling.

This includes the use of Porotherm clay block party walls and timber structure, along with internal finishes such as Blue Lias stone flooring sourced and sustainably sourced douglas fir and spruce detailing.

Internally, walls are predominantly finished in a parge coat, trowelled over the Porotherm clay blockwork for a textured finish that also contributes to the home’s high airtightness.

Macdonald Wright Architects hopes that the Library House will become a “scalable prototype” and inform its future projects at various scales.

Bedroom with blockwork wall — Porotherm clay blocks are used on party walls

“Each project we complete informs the next,” Macdonald Wright explained. “The use of Porotherm block and Larsen Truss has helped us develop techniques of external envelope construction we are now developing in larger scale designs.”

“By focusing on the build quality, airtightness and thermal performance of the external envelope construction we can reduce the overall cost of building to higher levels of sustainability,” he continued.

Window with perforated solar shading — Corten steel functions as solar shading

Another recently completed low-energy house on Dezeen is the Devon Passivhaus, which McLean Quinlan nestled into a sloped walled garden of an old English country house.

The building’s envelope performs to the highly energy-efficient Passivhaus standard, achieved using substantial amounts of insulation and triple glazing throughout.

White and stone bathroom — Rooflights feature throughout the house

Macdonald Wright founded his eponymous studio in east London in 2005. Another notable project by the studio is the Caring Wood country house in Kent, which won the 2017 RIBA House of the Year.

Designed in collaboration with architect Niall Maxwell, the dwelling is topped with chimney-like roofs and provides a residence for three generations of the same family.

The photography is by Heiko Prigge.

Project credits:

Architect: Macdonald Wright Architects
Structural engineer: Osbourne Edwards
Sustainability consultant: Conker Conservation
Quantity surveyor: GQS Services.
Contractor: Daneco Build
Groundworks: Hauge Construction

Reference

Interior Design

Crawshaw Architects transforms cow shed into Stanbridge Mill Library

By Zarkon Group,18/10/2022

London studio Crawshaw Architects has transformed a former cow shed in Dorset into a library and office, organised around a wooden, barrel-vaulted arcade that references the client’s collection of books on classical Palladian architecture.

The Stanbridge Mill Library, which has been shortlisted in the civic and cultural interiors category of Dezeen Awards 2022, occupies one of several outbuildings of a Georgian farmhouse on a grade II-listed farm.

Exterior of converted barn in Dorset — Crawshaw Architects has overhauled a former cow shed in Dorset

The narrow, gabled brick shed was originally built to house Standbridge Mill Farm’s cows but had stood neglected for over forty years, used as storage for gardening equipment and farm machinery.

Looking to give the building a new purpose while maintaining its existing character, Crawshaw Architects made only small structural interventions, replacing two of its original roof trusses with portal frames that open up the interior.

Entrance to Stanbridge Mill Library — The studio has transformed it into a library and office

“While a decisive transformation of the interior was called for, we felt that the original use of the building needed to be part of the story,” explained the studio.

Stanbridge Mill Library’s focal point is a central “nave”, which is filled with seating areas covered by a wooden barrel vault and slotted between two narrow aisles lined by bookshelves. This plan references classical architectural forms, which are the focus of many of the client’s books.

Library with barrel-vaulted arcade — The Stanbridge Mill Library is organised around a barrel-vaulted arcade

Pale, solid oak has been used for the floor, shelving, storage and the central vault, half of which is covered with planks and the other half left open to allow in light from new skylights.

“The high nave and pair of aisles are in the form of a classical library, but are set out in the register of the original building using the materials and construction techniques of traditional farm carpentry and metalwork,” explained Crawshaw Architects.

White-walled room in Stanbridge Mill Library by Crawshaw Architects — The office occupies the northern end of the building

“The vault, columns, shelves, tables and seating are made of the same solid oak planks and sections, deliberately selected to show knots and natural blemishes,” the studio continued.

Desks are organised to take advantage of light from the windows and are illuminated at night by large pendants suspended from the vault.

The office space occupies the northern end of the building underneath an original roof truss, which is separated from the library by an arched glass door and windows that frame views through the nave and aisles.

To the south of Stanbridge Mill Library, a dog-leg in the plan is occupied by a small kitchen, positioned opposite a bathroom and a small lobby area.

Desks of wooden library in old barn — Pale solid oak has been used throughout

Stanbridge Mill Library features in the civic and cultural interior category of Dezeen Awards 2022 alongside the renovation of the Groote Museum in Amsterdam by Merk X.

Another project on the shortlist is the interior of F51 Skate Park in Folkestone by Hollaway Studio, which won the public vote for the same category.

The photography is by Ingrid Rasmussen.

Project credits:

Architect: Crawshaw Architects
Design team: Pandora Dourmisi, Aidan Crawshaw
Structural engineer: Hardman Structural Engineers
Contractor: CanDo Constructions ltd

Reference

Sustainable News

Gulmeshwori Basic School // MESH Architectures

By Zarkon Group,28/07/202212/08/2022

Kids of Kathmandu, an NGO that builds schools in Nepal, recruited MESH to build a new school building for 5-7th graders on a scenic site in the hills outside the city. The organization is committed to sustainable construction, and resources were severely limited by budget, site accessibility, and general material scarcity.

They had had a successful experience with rammed earth and proposed it for the building. MESH eagerly accepted the challenge.Nepalese pedagogy is recognizable as traditional, rote lesson delivery to orderly rows of students crowded into desks. In part to encourage alternative classroom organization and also in response to the open surroundings, we proposed an organization of hexagonal rooms: 3 classrooms, a computer room, and a library.

We added a covered porch as an outdoor space usable during the monsoon and an outdoor plinth to be used as a stage for gatherings, connected by stair to a green recreational roof.

This makes for a variety of spaces within a small footprint. A loose organization of heterogenous spaces like this keeps the mind open and active by continually rewriting the mind’s model of its surroundings.

Rammed earth has a low energy/CO2 footprint because most of the mass comes from the site itself, with a small amount of cement added.

Otherwise, it functions much like reinforced concrete, with thermal mass to modulate temperature, structural strength, and fire resistance..

Gulmeshwori Basic School Gallery

Reference

Library

Dezeen Debate features Snøhetta library with a “feeling of extravagance”

Studio Hinge creates library spaces beneath tree-like wooden columns

Serpentine Bookhouse library by Atelier Xi “unfolds like a scroll painting”

Architectural Details: Adjaye Associate’s Winter Park Library Is a “Village of Knowledge”

Superkül renovates reading room at Toronto’s brutalist Robarts Library

fria folket organizes house in sweden around an extensive library

Library House by Fria Folket

a library that acts as the heart and bloodstream of the project

following the course of the sun

simple materials complement the library’s broad color spectrum

Macdonald Wright Architects creates low-energy Library House in London

Crawshaw Architects transforms cow shed into Stanbridge Mill Library

Gulmeshwori Basic School // MESH Architectures

Gulmeshwori Basic School Gallery

Get in touch

about us

Company info

Useful Links

Newsletter