With the role of the library changing in recent years, a library functions as more of a community center with less concern in collection space. In their proposal for the Daegu Gosan Public Library, PRAUD‘s concept focuses on creating flexible and generous space in user oriented space, and on housing collection space into certain area. Basically, collection spaces are located in between two major cores, that are also major structural supports of the building. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Since the first library the Royal Library of Alexandria in Egypt, library always as been the center of information which was stored in stacks in print format. Therefore, it has been one of the most critical issues to design collection rooms and consider their future expansion. As most of the information is stored in digital format now, the weight of the library is now onto open user spaces and common spaces from the collection area.
In our project “Daegu Public Kaleidoscope”, on each floor, rest of spaces such as, reading room, information search area, and the children room are attached to collection area and two cores. To accommodate current need of collection stacks, we reserved some of open spaces as collection rooms. However, when digital media becomes dominant means of information access, those spaces can be converted into reading rooms in the future with tablet computers, personal handsets or e-book readers. Also, keeping information in digital format means that the library will need more mechanical and electric systems for memory servers and cooling machines. So lower-height unoccupied spaces can potentially used as server rooms in the future as well.
Together with series of generous void space in the library, solid boxes are proposed to form the void and house other programs such as office, preservation room and children room. This interlocking relationship between solid box and void space creates very generous space and unexpected experience for the users. Therefore, a user will always experience different atmosphere depending on where he or she is located. In this way, a small community library that is limited in size and height can also create a variety of spatial experiences within the envelope.
Flexibility
In a small library, flexibility is also a key issue to make efficient use of the building. In “Daegu Public Kaleidoscope” Not only the open space reading rooms have a flexibility to be transformed from stacking area to reading room, but also the first floor spaces have flexibility depending on the use. Multi-purpose room, Lounge, Auditorium and Sunken Garden are four major spaces that compose the first floor and spaces can be organized in different configuration with operable partition wall. Therefore, depending on the community use of the space like, lecture, exhibition, bazaar, cafeteria, and etc. it can create multiples of options.
Massing & System
The massing focuses on how it can bring in the park feature to the site while it follows the logic of the context. Considering its tight regulation of volume and height, the massing of the library starts from a singular box. And it transforms when the park feature is pulled into the building diagonally and when surface parking is needed on the back side of the building. Lastly, to correspond to the height and set-back regulation, the top part of the volume also transforms.
This singular mass is basically held by center core and periphery structure system. The periphery structure is composed with two different types of system; pre-cast with integrated structure unit for solid part and truss system for void part. Therefore, the building has a universal space in user oriented spaces as well as in common spaces.
Architects: PRAUD Location: Daegu, South Korea Team: Dongwoo Yim, Rafael Luna Program: Public Library Site Area: 2,080m2 Floor Area: 3,228m2
