SANT BOI DE LLOBREGAT CENTRAL LIBRARY
Librarian & Architect, working together from the past to the future
Library Service (Servei de Biblioteques) of the Barcelona
Provincial Council (Diputació de Barcelona)
LIBRARY SERVICE
LIBRARY
MUNICIPALITY
• In the province of Barcelona, the public library service is a municipal service
• The Library Service does not manage libraries
• The Library Service gives suport to the local councils on the planning and creation of new libraries
• The Library Service offers centralised services to the libraries and facilitates their networking (for example: the union catalogue management)
• The Library Service offers library service in small towns (400-3.000 inhabitants), through 9 mobile libraries
Province of Barcelona
• 189 libraries
• 9 mobile libraries
• Population over 4.6 million
• 311 municipalities
• Advice to local councils on planning and programming:
• Library model
• Map of needs for the territory
• Standards of facilities and basic services
• Operational programme
• Monitoring of projects with the architects responsible
• Monitoring of construction work
• Supervision of the final facility
• Subsequent assessment of how the facility works
Library facilities: services offered by the Library
Service
(Video, by Santi Romero)
Chief of Library Architecture Unit
The Library Architecture Unit
We give advise to the municipalities during
the process of project , construction and
interior furnishing of new library buildings,
as well as in the refurbishment of the existing
ones.
About 100 projects, in 83 municipalities
Jordi Rubió i Balaguer library
Sant Boi de Llobregat
2
CLIENT
CONTRACTOR
ARCHITECT
”At the beginning of our professional practice we discover, with surprise, that some
buildings designed by the most admired architects are strongly criticised by the clients”
“… the process of building a facility certainly needs everybody’s contribution. The
information exchange at the right moment of the process is the key to reach the goal,
and to involve everybody as a part of the success.”
“It’s essential to have a direct and fluid contact betwen client and architect in order to…”
(Orteu / Piferrer)
Dialog architect / client (I)
Dialog architect / client (II)
The clientARCHITECT
CLIENT
CONTRACTOR
Teresa PagèsLibrary DirectorJordi Rubió i Balaguer library
Mariona MuxartMunicipal ArchitectSant Boi de Llobregat
Ània PlumaProject managerOTC (Oficina Tècnica de Cooperació)
Ignasi BonetAdviserLibrary Service
The architectsARCHITECT
CLIENT
CONTRACTOR
AV 62Antonio Foraster, Victoria Garrigawww.av62arquitectos.com
Librarian’s vision
•Someone who is living in the building, 24h a day, experiencing with the 5 senses:
•Daylight / Artificial light
• Warm weather / Cold weather
• Library full of people / Empty library
• With a lot of noise and activity / Silent moments
• Complexity / simplicity of movements inside de building
•…
Architect’s vision
•The architect thinks on the bulding as an object, sometimes as if it was a
sculpture, as an element of urben reference.
•This means that the bulding can become an icon, a urban point of meeting, a point
in the collective imaginary. And this is required from a public facility.
•But this may be a problem when the building becomes only a matter of visual and
aesthetics: geometry, simetry, aligned walls and furniture, colors, textures…
•Then the architect forgets about the other aspects: clima, acoustics, direct
sunlight, usability, ergonomy, space needed for equipment…
MEETINGS, MEETINGS AND MEETINGS!
Talk, talk, and talk… Dialog, dialog, dialog…
To have one only image of our common goal, one only image of the
building we wanted.
Librarian’s vision and architect’s vision are complementary, not
opposite. Each one completes the other’s vision.
Talk about real needs, and try to avoid prejudices.
Say things in advance, at the right moment! (Sometimes it’s too late!)
Architecture quality
Low visual impact
Good space layout
Environmentally suitable
Clear access
…
Competition project
Ground floor
First floor
Shelving and collection layout
Interviews video
3
•Why did AV62 proposal win the competition?
•Emblematic and symbolic building is essential?
•Emblematic proposals or functional ones?
•How is a good client?
•Is OTC a good client?
•Is Library Service a good client?
•What’s the director role during the process?
•What would you do in a different way next time?
•Some mistakes?
•What about the dialog with architects?
Conclusions
4
• Comunication among agents
• Good project: good layout
(leisure/study, noise/silence…)
• Graphics
• Quality and lightness of the spaces
• Sense of big space, transparency
• User’s evaluation
• Central desk, divided in two
• Not conducive yards
• Bar location
• Main entrance door
• Excessive direct sunlight
• Telling tales corner design, in children’s
area
IGNASI BONET PEITX
Architect of Library Architecture Unit
www.diba.cat/biblioteques
THANK-YOU!
14th LIBER Architecture Group Seminar
BUDAPEST – APRIL 2008
Building on experience: learning from the past to plan
fo the future