CTES COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE

3rd Year B.Arch. Semester 6- 2022 – 2023 Nov – March 2022-23

Project: 1 BARC 501 Architectural Design Studio 6 Handout: 1

Faculty – Prof. Anuprita S, Prof. Kirti D, Prof. Sheetal A, Prof. Nisha K, Prof. Shefali N, Prof.
Iravati N, Prof. Mitali Ha, Prof. Manali In

Public Library

Introduction

Library from time immemorial has been considered as a “social institution”. It has an
immense role in modern society and is regarded as the “gateway of knowledge” for
the community. With the generation of new information sources including
web-based resources there is a huge change in the role and form of the libraries.

Back in the day, before the advent of online search engines, people with questions
commonly turned to the most reliable source they knew: their local library.

The library concept dates back millennia. The first systematically organized library in
the ancient Middle East was established in the 7th century BC in Nineveh, in
contemporary Iraq. Nalanda University’s Library, in India which was founded in 5th
century BC is said to be the biggest one in Asia. Other notable ones include, the
Library at Alexandria in Egypt, Bayt al-Ḥikmah (House of Wisdom) in Baghdad, etc.

Library and society are both interlinked and interdependent. Library exists for the
needs of society. A library can be referred to as a well acknowledged “social
agency”. It plays a vital role in shaping our society. It transmits and disseminates the
accumulated knowledge through books and other materials.

The 20th century saw a remarkable transformation in library philosophy, away from
the traditional understanding of the library as a treasure house towards a new
conception of the library as a building type that encouraged the encounter
between readers and books. Public libraries started emerging in American colonies
when many early colonists brought books from England.

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In India, the modern concept of public libraries has its origins in the British colonial
period, with the development of public libraries in cities such as Bombay, Madras,
and Calcutta in the early to mid–nineteenth century helping to pave the way for
future library development.

While public libraries in India have been recognized for their potential to be local
centres of information and learning for the deprived masses, they are currently in
need of evolution.

Public Libraries are more than mere repositories of books, they are symbols of cultural
wealth and knowledge. The construction, restoration and renovation of libraries are
significant to architects as well as the public, with firms vying over these important
commissions.

Types of Libraries:

Public libraries can be differentiated from academic, school, and special libraries
because they function to serve the needs of a diverse service population including
small children, students, professionals, and the elderly.

In contrast,

- Academic libraries serve college and university faculty and students;

- School libraries serve elementary, middle, and high school students and
faculty; and
- Special libraries (such as Presidential Libraries) serve scholars and experts
within narrowly defined fields.

A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is generally
funded from public sources, such as taxes. They are governed by a board to serve
the public interest, they are open to all, and every community member can access
the collection.

(Public libraries- The books collection can include Periodicals, newspapers,

manuscripts, films, maps, prints, documents, CDs, cassettes, videotapes, DVDs,
Blu-ray Discs, e-books, audio-books, databases and other formats.

Aim:

The studio aims to explore the conception of a large edifice to commemorate the
literary evolution in the cities of India. Public libraries that are generally accessible
and funded by the public will mark the incident and/or highlight this cause.

Over the centuries, the architecture of libraries has undergone several evolutions,
often depending on their use, the architectural trends of the era, and the
technology available to build them.

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Objectives:

● Understanding the ways in which contemporary libraries are perceived and

used
● Defining the changing role of libraries as community spaces.
● Designing libraries as both a learning space and a community space, having
a future as a place to meet, read, share and explore ideas
● Designing, detailing to address user needs in unique, interesting, and effective
ways
● Learning technological interventions like Auditorium design, seminar halls &
large scale spaces
● Exploring new forms & construction techniques
● Applying the effects of climatic conditions to create climate sensitive building
● Gaining proficiency in architecture representation techniques i.e. preparing
drawings

Design Intent:
This semester we will focus on designing a large scale public library for the city of
Chandigarh. This Library will inhabit a large collection of books amounting to 2 to 3
lakhs or more and corresponding number of digital books & documents along with
functions such as,
● Collection space - book storage and display area
● Indoor and outdoor reading spaces
● Computer room/ center - referring to digital media
● Study area/ work area
● A community hall for events such as Book releases, competitions and Literary
fairs
● Flexible area for hosting small pop-up events, exhibitions, etc.
● An auditorium for screening of films based on books
● Seminar rooms for arranging lecture series, seminars and conferences
● Social interaction zones - plaza, book cafe, etc
● Community garden/ open space
● Admin area & toilets
● Public Toilets

Design Methodology/Process:

Case study and data collection-In the beginning students will carry out substantial
amounts of research by means of data collection, case study and create a data
bank. Please refer to guidelines for case studies. Studying different concepts on
library functions.

Site analysis- Site analysis would involve in depth demographic study of the city i.e.
identifying the different age groups residing in the city. Site analysis will also contain
analysis of macro and micro climate, Location, Connectivity, topography, access &
shape of the site.

Requirement analysis- Based on the above studies, requirement or discussion on

area for the library will be encouraged in the studio.
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Ideation-At the beginning of the design process, ideation stage is envisaged where
students will be generating broader concepts based on site analysis, case studies
and building requirements. It will enable them to find their expressions through key
words, collage, film, emotion, culture, and rational themes.

Massing– Massing offers rationale or syntactic value to the design process.

Requirement analysis will feed into the massing study, which will be represented by
conceptual models.

Design- The concepts generated through ideation process and the learning from
Massing study together will give impetus to the design process. Here students would
use the models, sketches, sections, elevations & 3D views as methods for exploration.
Form will be an outcome of lighting studies, climatic aspects such as temperature
control, anthropometric & ergonomic studies, flexible furniture design and digital
interface such as reading desks with digital resources like kindle.

“A library is not a luxury but one of the necessities of life.” - H.W. Beecher

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Proposed Site:

SITE SPECIFICATIONS – Near Sukhna Lake & St.Johns parking

Land Use – Public / semi – public
Area – 6300 sq.mt

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Case Study:
1. Seattle library -
https://www.archdaily.com/11651/seattle-central-library-oma-lmn
2. Public Library Amsterdam / Jo Coenen & Co Architekten -
https://www.archdaily.com/505344/public-library-amsterdam-jo-coenen-and-co-arc
hitekten
3. Morgan Library Expansion, New York / Ar. Renzo Piano -
https://architizer.com/projects/renovation-and-expansion-of-the-morgan-library/
4. Lilavati Lalbhai Library / RMA Architects -
https://www.archdaily.com/911812/lilavati-lalbhai-library-rma-architects
5. Central Library, Panaji, Goa -
https://www.gsidcltd.com/project/construction-of-central-library-building-at-
patto-panaji-goa/

6. Yogananda Library, Solan, Himachal Pradesh - Ar. Sourabh Gupta-

https://www.archdaily.com/770435/yogananda-library-sourabh-gupta?ad_so
urce=search&ad_medium=projects_tab

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Readings:
Le Corbusier 5 principles -
https://thesketchline.com/en/le-corbusiers-five-points-of-architecture/

https://www.studio2a.net/corbusier-manifesto-five-points-of-new-architecture/

https://architizer.com/blog/inspiration/stories/architectural-evolution-of-the-library/

https://egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/64309/1/Unit-11.pdf

https://www.gensler.com/blog/design-ideas-for-the-post-pandemic-public-library