Library Buildings around the World

Professional Team: Adam Essa Shabodien Roomanay COESSA Holdings Peter Fehrsen Faghmie Christians Andre Spies dhk
architects, Ganief Dollie Jaco van Heerden Letshabile Structural Engineers, Graham Clarence Target Project Management
Ashley Ruiters LDV Quantity Surveyors, Goesain Johardien Taib Ogier GJA Mechanical & Electrical
concept Timbuktu was shaped over-time and the complexity of its urban patterns can be explained by the way in which people
moved through the city. With the first conceptual take on this unique project, much thought was given to the movement patterns and
the experiential qualities of the streets of Timbuktu. The buildings form a microcosm of the greater Timbuktu, an amazing
experiential route which ties the main auditorium and outdoor amphitheatre to the library, restoration spaces and guest rooms, to
form an interactive educational centre. The siting of the project is a pivotal point in the city of Timbuktu. Three main arterial roads
lead to the site. The two outer roads surround the old city whilst the middle one splits it in half. This connects the site directly to the
airport. Furthermore the site is at the top end of the old city, in-between the “old “ and the “new” city. The architecture relates to
this interstitial zone directly in that it is a combination of sun baked mud bricks (reminiscent of the “old” city) and off shutter
concrete (reminiscent of “new” city). These two materials form the main structural materials and are tectonically separated with
glass. Sun filters will be hand chiseled lime stone panels of varying sizes (about 2m x 1,5m). These panels accentuate the Moroccan
influence in Malian vernacular architecture. Together these materials create a contrast between older techniques of building and
modern construction methods, which in turn relates directly to the position of the site. (dhk)
Jeremie Malan Architects & Interiors, Pretoria – South Africa
Jermie Malan, Maré Malan
http://www.malanarchitects.ca.za
Libraries:
National Library of South Africa, Pretoria CBD – South Africa 2008
Client: Department of Public Works, Floor Area: 33 000m², Cost: R310m
Located on Pretoria’s Government Boulevard which links the CBD with the Union Buildings, the new National Library of South
Africa is a focal point. Visitors walk up the pedestrian ramp to an open public square and the main entrance, where face brick,
concrete, steel and glass have been utilized to build the most modern library on the continent, a cultural symbol in the city of
Pretoria and the country of South Africa. The library will hold 3.5million books and can accommodate 1500 seated researchers with
approximately 4000 users per day. (Malan)
Building future history- the new Pretoria campus building
The National Library of South Africa plays a leadership role in Library and Information Services (LIS) sector. It provides library
resources to all communities in South Africa, including previously disadvantaged communities. The Department of Arts and Culture
is erecting a new building for the National Library of South Africa in Pretoria, which is worth more than R200-million. The project
is being executed by the Department of Public Works. The National Library will gain approximately 33 000 usable square metres of
space for its book collections, reading rooms and other facilities currently scattered in various Pretoria premises. The new building
will also provide approximately 1800 seats for library users. The present library building can host only about 130 users. The new
building will serve as a remedy for those people who queue on a daily basis to use the library services for hours on end. The new
building is nearing completion. The project will result in the establishment of the most well equipped, effective and efficient National
Library in Africa. It will serve as flagship for other library institutions in the country and present itself as a centre of excellence and
a symbol of upliftment for all legal deposit libraries in Africa and the world. A well equipped new National Library building the day
it opens its doors – computers will be available for the man in the street to use and to learn, thus removing the digital divide.
A National Library serving its purpose in providing a repository for current electronic published documents and a preservation
service for all legal deposit documents in South AfricaAll communities will have a place to go for studies, reading, research and
online services and will not have to queue in the streets. The auditorium and meeting rooms will be used for training and meetings,
and the necessary audio-visual equipment will be available. African literature will be available in all languages for the communities.
Information on AIDS, poverty and indigenous matters will be available for all people to use in all formats, accessible from within in
a complete electronic database (OPAC). The Cape Town campus and the Centre for the Book are housed in buildings that are
landmarks in the historical nucleus of the city. The buildings were extensively renovated in the mid-1990s, and further repairs to the
campus premises were carried out in the year under review. However, valuable collections are housed at various other Cape Town
premises. At some of these, preservation conditions remain unsatisfactory, and solutions are being sought. Entrance to the building
will be from a raised public piazza on the corner of Struben and Andries Streets. Large double volume reading rooms, one for
general study and another for specialised research, will be featured on ground level with views into spaces from the streets. This will
exhibit and reflect the use of a library to the public, therefore encouraging new users to use the facility. The proposed modern glass
and brick building reflects the dynamic future envisaged for the National Library of South Africa. Steel and covered walkways and
ramps lead users from street level towards the entrance piazza, which can also be used for public exhibition and street art forms.
(http://www.nlsa.ac.za/NLSA/about-us/history/building-future-history)
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