Architects: Studio 8 1/2 Location: Plovdiv, Bulgaria Project Year: 2011 Photographs: Courtesy of Studio 8 1/2
The project reveals a conceptual vision for a new public library, which would be housed in a waste trolleybus on the corner of “Otets Paisiy” Street and “General Gurko” Street in the town of Plovdiv. “Otets Paisiy” str was chosen partly because of its name – the 18th century Bulgarian monk who wrote the famous Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya and partly because this is the exact street where the first trolleybus was passing through 55 years ago. The mobile library is placed right in front of the station which continues to power the city’s trolleybus network nowadays.The street is “cut” because of urbanization reasons, but has preserved itself as a parallel and alternative city culture, collateral to the main pedestrian and touring zone in the city.
The project offers a new life for a small city square, which has lost its main function through the years. During the past years a number of foundations turn serious attention to this bohemian part of the town’s past and present. They initiated projects, exhibitions and festivals. This library will fill in to some extent a palpable gap, formed by the lack of cultural centers and sharpened by the closing of the historic square nearby and the emblematic for the city book-store, bearing also the name of one of the holiest Bulgarians- Otets Paisiy.
The main aim of this project is to challenge the ordinary passers to enter, sit and read in an extraordinary and cosy atmosphere. The feeling of comfort is due to bright colors which the designers are used – yellow and white. The white stands are made of wooden panels and they shelter over 600 books of different Bulgarian and foreign authors. There is a separate area for little visitors at the back side of the trolleybus where they can not only read but also color and paint children’s books. Studio 8 ½ is an artist platform founded by arch. Vladislav Kostadinov in 2010. The studio’s portfolio includes projects in architecture, construction, product, interior and urban design.
