SANT BOI DE LLOBREGAT CENTRAL LIBRARY

Librarian & Architect, working together from the past to the future

Library Service (Servei de Biblioteques) of the Barcelona

Provincial Council (Diputació de Barcelona)

LIBRARY SERVICE

LIBRARY

MUNICIPALITY

• In the province of Barcelona, the public library service is a municipal service

• The Library Service does not manage libraries

• The Library Service gives suport to the local councils on the planning and creation of new libraries

• The Library Service offers centralised services to the libraries and facilitates their networking (for example: the union catalogue management)

• The Library Service offers library service in small towns (400-3.000 inhabitants), through 9 mobile libraries

Province of Barcelona

• 189 libraries

• 9 mobile libraries

• Population over 4.6 million

• 311 municipalities

• Advice to local councils on planning and programming:

• Library model

• Map of needs for the territory

• Standards of facilities and basic services

• Operational programme

• Monitoring of projects with the architects responsible

• Monitoring of construction work

• Supervision of the final facility

• Subsequent assessment of how the facility works

Library facilities: services offered by the Library

Service

(Video, by Santi Romero)

Chief of Library Architecture Unit

The Library Architecture Unit

We give advise to the municipalities during

the process of project , construction and

interior furnishing of new library buildings,

as well as in the refurbishment of the existing

ones.

About 100 projects, in 83 municipalities

Jordi Rubió i Balaguer library

Sant Boi de Llobregat

2

CLIENT

CONTRACTOR

ARCHITECT

”At the beginning of our professional practice we discover, with surprise, that some

buildings designed by the most admired architects are strongly criticised by the clients”

“… the process of building a facility certainly needs everybody’s contribution. The

information exchange at the right moment of the process is the key to reach the goal,

and to involve everybody as a part of the success.”

“It’s essential to have a direct and fluid contact betwen client and architect in order to…”

(Orteu / Piferrer)

Dialog architect / client (I)

Dialog architect / client (II)

The clientARCHITECT

CLIENT

CONTRACTOR

Teresa PagèsLibrary DirectorJordi Rubió i Balaguer library

Mariona MuxartMunicipal ArchitectSant Boi de Llobregat

Ània PlumaProject managerOTC (Oficina Tècnica de Cooperació)

Ignasi BonetAdviserLibrary Service

The architectsARCHITECT

CLIENT

CONTRACTOR

AV 62Antonio Foraster, Victoria Garrigawww.av62arquitectos.com

Librarian’s vision

•Someone who is living in the building, 24h a day, experiencing with the 5 senses:

•Daylight / Artificial light

• Warm weather / Cold weather

• Library full of people / Empty library

• With a lot of noise and activity / Silent moments

• Complexity / simplicity of movements inside de building

•…

Architect’s vision

•The architect thinks on the bulding as an object, sometimes as if it was a

sculpture, as an element of urben reference.

•This means that the bulding can become an icon, a urban point of meeting, a point

in the collective imaginary. And this is required from a public facility.

•But this may be a problem when the building becomes only a matter of visual and

aesthetics: geometry, simetry, aligned walls and furniture, colors, textures…

•Then the architect forgets about the other aspects: clima, acoustics, direct

sunlight, usability, ergonomy, space needed for equipment…

MEETINGS, MEETINGS AND MEETINGS!

Talk, talk, and talk… Dialog, dialog, dialog…

To have one only image of our common goal, one only image of the

building we wanted.

Librarian’s vision and architect’s vision are complementary, not

opposite. Each one completes the other’s vision.

Talk about real needs, and try to avoid prejudices.

Say things in advance, at the right moment! (Sometimes it’s too late!)

Architecture quality

Low visual impact

Good space layout

Environmentally suitable

Clear access

…

Competition project

Ground floor

First floor

Shelving and collection layout

Interviews video

3

•Why did AV62 proposal win the competition?

•Emblematic and symbolic building is essential?

•Emblematic proposals or functional ones?

•How is a good client?

•Is OTC a good client?

•Is Library Service a good client?

•What’s the director role during the process?

•What would you do in a different way next time?

•Some mistakes?

•What about the dialog with architects?

Conclusions

4

• Comunication among agents

• Good project: good layout

(leisure/study, noise/silence…)

• Graphics

• Quality and lightness of the spaces

• Sense of big space, transparency

• User’s evaluation

• Central desk, divided in two

• Not conducive yards

• Bar location

• Main entrance door

• Excessive direct sunlight

• Telling tales corner design, in children’s

area

IGNASI BONET PEITX

Architect of Library Architecture Unit

bonetpin@diba.cat

www.diba.cat/biblioteques

THANK-YOU!

14th LIBER Architecture Group Seminar

BUDAPEST – APRIL 2008

Building on experience: learning from the past to plan

fo the future