Thesis title:
A Unit-Library in India
Date of discussion:
April 2024
Students:
Sivan Liteman, Maria Mathai, Ahmad Naderi
Professors of the Studio:
Maria Grazia Folli (Architectural Design)
Corrado Pecora (Structural and Seismic Design)
Marco Imperadori (Sustainable Technology)
Giovanni Dotelli (Sustainable Materials for Architecture)
Lorenzo Pagliano (Services Design for Sustainable Buildings)
Abstract:
When starting this project, we kept asking ourselves this one question. What does a library mean to India? India is a land of contradictions. It is a land with a lot of history. It is diverse. Its architecture has been marked repeatedly with outside influences. One of our main objectives was to come up with a design which represents the India of today. Looking towards the future but strongly connected to its past. Bangalore was chosen as the location in India because of its growing population and size of the city. It also brought into the mix, its culture and traditions. We also reflected on the question of what the library of today should look like. In today’s digital world, the purpose of the library evolves into a place of community building and equitable access. Our library project has converted the previously abandoned industrial zone into a large park which will uplift a less developed part of the city. The library itself has been carefully curated with pre-cast components of concrete to form large sculptural spaces combined with pre-assembled perforated brick panels as a façade. The concrete modules have evolved through the study of the history of the country and the façade has been developed as a method to combat the climate. The library consists of a group of buildings arranged around a courtyard connected by pathways. The courtyard, as it always has been, serves as gathering place for all. The library aspires to be an image of the new India. A link between the eventful past and the promising future.