Joan Maragall Library
Barcelona ES
BCQ Arquitectura Barcelona
2014
Type
Library
Tags
cultural facilities, civic spaces, made by women
Visitability
Allowed
Description
The slogan with which we presented the project to the competition of ideas was “Garden of Light”. These two words sum up the two ideas behind the project: to retain and improve the existing garden and at the same time create some cheerful, well-lit spaces.The building is shaped by the “courtyards of light and silence” and the “courtyards of books and knowledge”. The first, surrounded by glass, illuminate and ventilate the interior while separating the library from the street. The second, solid prisms full of books, form part of the library’s support structure.Inside, there is a tectonic landscape with a series of round volumes and unexpected transparencies. The reading rooms are small, with a homely feel. The walls that hide the containing concrete walls and building structures are covered with clay-baked tiles. This porous material, which absorbs both sound and heat, serves as a reminder that this is a partially-buried building that has been dug into the ground.(Description provided by the architects)