Library Buildings around the World

The place usually helps us facing the blank paper before starting a project once we got to know the program. In our case the
territory, the place on which we had to act had been modified by the urban project of the UMA campus extension. Therefore, we had
to get a more distant view. We considered the project and its place as a part of the whole landscape. Looking north we find the
skyline of the Malaga Mountains while on the south side the most diffuse city areas and the seashore can be seen. As the program
described a building- a complex for the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences- that includes both the School of Business and the
School of Social Science and Labour, became evident that we would have to deal with big proportions. In spite of all this we wanted
to design a building that can be read as a part of the topography.
We treated the planning as an urban project, with the intention of creating a “place” within the university campus. The program
suggested a small city in which the continuity of the public spaces remains permanent once we have entered the complex. Streets,
different volumes and environment, mixture of uses … we will find them all inside discovering the building.
The whole complex consists of three large rectangular blocks. This composition allows establishing pedestrian streets among them,
which are parallel to the building and the campus roads as well. These interior streets have different roles, depending on the use of
the blocks.
The main passage is covered by the computer classrooms. This space became a part of the entrance hall as well, as it includes all the
modules that integrate general services: lecture hall, library, cafeteria, rooms for group work, direction, management, and
classrooms at different heights.
The block of the departments enjoys the biggest independence; however, although the longitudinal way is the most prevailing, the
block also helps the transversal communication by shortening the distance between the different special volumes.
The landscape, its topography with a north-to-south slope, and the inclined campus streets were determining from the beginning. On
the other hand, this made possible that we can enter the building without having to pass the lower level. The result has a double
advantage: from the main entrance the space dominates everything, furthermore allows the easy mobility of the users at this level of
access where the activity of the complex is much higher. On the whole, three floors over the ground and one under it.
The exterior appearance of the complex consists of rectangular pieces in which the horizontal component dominates the vertical one.
Each part expresses outwardly the function that fulfils inside. The light in our city is so intense that the architecture does not require
colours to identify itself; on the contrary, its control has to be one of the most important objectives in any project.
It is the light that helps us discover architecture, both in the exterior and in the interior spaces that are set up as a result of the
exterior volumes. The dominating colours of the project, gray and white, allow integrating the building into the landscape despite its
huge dimensions. In the interior, the control of the light is just as important. This helps us creating comfortable spaces that fit to the
designated use. The classrooms receive light from the north; meanwhile both the library and the computer classrooms have
skylights. (http://www.archdaily.com)
Centro Cultural en Ollerias, Biblioteca Ollerias - Spain 2000
La fachada del edificio correspondiente a la calle Ollerías se escalona y retranquea, para intentar la articulación de la guardería
infantil colindante con la envejecida arquitectura doméstica del siglo XIX que forma la calle; apenas un gesto de un panel de fachada
indica el acceso desde la calle. En la nueva plaza, el centro cultural se abre paso hasta la zona pública, con prudencia pero indicando
su situación: una amplia escalinata es la primera aproximación, la única referencia en la plaza. En el juego de volúmenes encuentran
su papel las medianerías colindantes, entre las que se encaja el nuevo edificio.
Málaga, die andalusische Großstadt an der spanischen Costa des Sol, ist nicht nur ein beliebtes Urlaubsziel, sondern auch eine
Universitätsstadt. Für ihren „Campus de Teatinos“ wurde nun eine Erweiterung aus drei Gebäudeteilen fertig gestellt. Der Entwurf
dafür stammt von Luis Machuca Arquitectos (Málaga). Das neue Ensemble am Tal des Flusses Guadalhorce besteht aus einem
Gebäude für die Bibliothek, für den Veranstaltungssaal, die Verwaltung und ein Restaurant, ein weiteres beherbergt die Aulen und
Seminarräume, und das dritte ist im Grunde der überdachte Bereich zwischen den beiden, der die Räume der Fachbereiche
aufnimmt. Dieser Bau wird von der Straße aus erschlossen und verbindet die beiden anderen Gebäude über Brücken, Passarellen
sowie eine äußere Straße miteinander. Dem Prinzip eines „Lernens im Freien“ (Architekten) folgend, durchdringen sich hier Innen-
und Außenräume. Die halb offenen Treppen, Gänge, Höfe und Galerien werden dabei zu Aufenthaltsorten und bieten Platz für
informelle Gespräche und Treffen. Die Fassade ist geprägt durch großformatige dunkle Platten mit bündig angeordneten, schmal
profilierten Öffnungen. (http://www.baunetz.de
MANSILLA+TUÑÓN Artistas, Madrid – Spain
http://www.mansilla-tunon.com
Libraries:
Biblioteca Regional de Madrid Joaquín Leguina, Madrid – Spain 2004
Authority and authority type: Autonomous Community of Madrid, Size of library: 10.000m²
The Regional Library Joaquín Leguina of Madrid is located in the south-east of the capital city.
Currently, the library is placed in a former brewery called El Águila. The library shares the building with the Regional Archive of
the Autonomous Community of Madrid and with the Legal Deposit. The original building was built between 1912 and 1914 by
Eugenio Jiménez Corera (*1853 Madrid - +1910 Madrid) and later on was extended by Luis Sainz de los Terreros (*1876 Santander
- +1936 Madrid). The Autonomous Community of Madrid started the building works in 1994. The restoration project of the building
was managed by the Spanish architects Emilio Tuñón Álvarez and Luis Moreno García-Mansilla and was executed between 1998-
2001. The new library was opened in 2002 with the name of one of the first presidents of the Autonomous Community, Joaquín
Leguina (1983-1995), who opened the bit to do the restoration. The library services are distributed in four stores: Ground level and
first floor: Reference section with 72 reading places and 68 internet and Opac posts. Second floor: Periodicals and cartography
sections: Equipped with: 60 reading places, 12 internet and Opac posts and 2 microfilms readers. Third floor: Multimedia section. It
also house the local researchers space. Equipped with: 20 reading places and 14 internet and Opac posts. There are also, two
basements where are placed the bibliographic store.
Architectural idea or principle:
Restoration project of a former brewery, built in the early 20th century in the neomudéjar style. Example of the industrial
architecture of the time that abounds in Art Noveau as well as historicist elements like red bricks and handmade tiles that has been
preserved. Also, the architect aim was to create a functional and comfortable building especially designed for a library purpose.
Detailed description: The library has upkeeped particular elements of the brewery like carriages, beer cellars, silos and freezers that
give to the current building a picturesque appearance. The architectural project has created a good combination between
preservation of the historical building and all the implementation of all facilities needed to a functional and comfortable modern
library. (http://www.librarybuildsings.info)
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