VARNA REGIONAL LIBRARY

DESCRIPTION
THE INTERIOR LANDSCAPE
Subtracting a large longitudinal void
across a compact orthogonal volume, we propose a symbolic gesture that creates
‘air’, space for the etheric body - the knowledge - to be developed. The open
space of knowledge divides therefore the mass of the building into two solid
volumes. The backside volume is fragmented in three large zones, so that on the
back of the building a ‘spine’ is created, a well-structured verticality that
accommodates the archive and the administration. The slabs of the two remaining
volumes are shifted; the void is distorted. The ground-based volume is shifted
towards the city, opening up knowledge to the public. Geometric contour lines
form a climax, bare the library’s fetish, the books and the book stacks. The
climax unfolds till the ground floor and expands outside the building. The
’library’ is given back to the city. The floating volume performs as a
condensed act of knowledge; an Act On the book; ‘devouring’ the books;
absorbing knowledge; learning.
INFORMATION
location:
Varna, Bulgaria
client:
Municipality of Varna
year:
2015
status:
competition entry(1st Prize)
To be completed at 2020
program:
Educational Building
total area:
17.500m2
competition:
Marina Kounavi,
Irgen Salianji,
Karolina Szóstkiewicz,
Katerina Petrocheilou,
Liana Sofiadi
design development:
project leaders:
Marina Kounavi,
Irgen Salianji
Ferdjan Van Der Pijl, Venelin Dimitrov, Marco De Vincentiis,
Maria Akrivou, Antonis Athanasiou, Harris Vamvakas
collaborators:
Maria Akrivou, Antonis Athanasiou, Harris Vamvakas