Sant Boi de Llobregat Central Library, librarian & architect working together from the past to the future Maria Teresa Pagès Gilibets 1
Localization Sant Boi de Llobregat is a town in an industrial area, close to the river Llobregat, from 12 Km of Barcelona city with 81.127 inhabitants distributed in a 6 districts. 2
Public model The agreement between this two administration ensure the quality of services. 3
Local public libraries map 1/2 1987 2005 First public library, Can Castells of 741 meters in a historical building reconstruct 4
Local public libraries map 2/2 1993 M. Aurèlia Capmany library of 500 meters, 5
Library Plan 1999/2010 1998 The success of the libraries use, specially Can Castells library (100.000 visitors per year like average), motivated the city council to elaborate the first Library Plan (Pla de biblioteques) 1999/2010 6
Central Urban Library 1/x 2001 Library Project of Central Urban Library (Programa Funcional) for the building project 7
Central Urban Library 2/x 2002 The city council calls a Public competition for Architect Project for the new building. The commission and the most important local authorities chose the Architect building project presented by AV62 (Victòria Garriga and Antonio Foraster), The building process 8
Central Urban Library 3/x 2003 2004 The building process On 2003, 27 April the construction of the building begins At the end of the year 2004 the work of construction is almost finished 9
Central Urban Library 4/x 2005 The building process It begins the furniture s installation On January begin the public competition for to hire the staff On March the staff pack the collection of the old Can Castells library On April the staff put the 50.000 documents on the shelves. During this time the library director assigned the tasks to the staff 10
2005 may 22 5/5 The library is officially inaugurated by the city major council and other important authorities. 5.000 persons visited the new library during this day The name of the library is Jordi Rubió i Balaguer, a prestigious professor in a School Library of Barcelona who lived in Sant Boi de Llobregat 11
2nd Local public libraries map 2006 2007 In 2007 the council approved the second library plan, Pla Local de Biblioteques i Lectura Pública 2007/2013: 2007/2010: To amplify the M.A. Capmany Library at 780 sq meters. 2010/2013: To build a new one in District 2 (31.604 inhabitants) of 1460 sq meters. 12
Future map in 2013 One central urban library and two branches 15 minutes walking to arrive at the library Biblioteca Jordi Rubió i Balaguer i la seva àrea d influència Biblioteca M. A. Capmany i la seva àrea d influència Àmbit d influència de la futura Bilbioteca Marianao Sant Boi de Llobregat Pla Local de Biblioteques i Lectura pública 23 de febrer de 2007 13
The building 14
The library is in the middle of the town in the geographic centre of the city, in a nice park. The building is very clear and sunny. It wins a price: the Municipis de Qualitat 2006 for the ambient respect.
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Building in the centre of the city Two levels built with special care for the natural surroundings (Parc de la Muntanyeta). The ground floor is constructed under the hill. It's topped with landscaped gardens. Inner yards are along all ground areas.
Main entrance 18
Dialogue with the architect The door accomplishes the rules but it's much too heavy. In the future the dialogue is to be continued.
Entrance hall 20
Main desk: centralized library loan 21
Desk divided by the wall 22
Auditorium, main hall Entrance hall and events room with 200 places, optionally divisible in two parts 23
Children area Reading points 57 one study room inside for activities or for study in group 24
Exhibition area 25
The heart of the library 26
Adults area Reading points 249 2 group study rooms inside 27
Self-learning zone equipped with 8 computers with Office and Internet acces. 28
Shelves thematic labelled 29
Library collection 47.684 AD 9.847 IN 7.363 CD s 5.670 DVD 350 title magazines, 14 journals 866 CDR Total 71.794 documents 30
Special collections Historical collection 1.348 books Cuban and Hispano-American collection with 308 books Local Collection with 817 documents. Disadvantaged collection 454 documents Easy to Read 55 books 31
Training rooms Both fully equipped with 15 computers each one 32
Technical area Library technical services Storage zone Staff rest area Staff toilets 33
First floor: Periodicals area Reading points 64 34
Audiovisuals 35
Library Services Information and loans. Free Internet public access (20 places and 30 in the instructional room) and Wi-Fi in the Adults area. Selflearning (internet + office) (8 places). Activities 36
Free Wi-Fi area 37
Disadvantaged services: magnifying glass 38
Disadvantaged services:(zoom text and software Jaws) 39
Opening hours Monday, from 15 to 21 h. Tuesday to Friday, from 9 to 21 h. Saturdays, from 11 to 19 h. (62 hours of open service) Summer (july and august): Monday to Friday from 14 to 21 h. (35 hours of open service) 40
Activities 2007 Telling tales 35 Book club 11 Book club poetry 9 Exhibitions 23 Conferences 7 School visits 24 Groups visits 16 Workshop 12 Others 8 41
Children s activities 42
http://www.biblioteques-santboi.org 43
Staff 4 librarians 12 library assistants 1 computer technician 1 library director 44
Thank you! M. Teresa Pagès Gilibets Library director Jordi Rubió i Balaguer library Sant Boi de Llobregat pagesgt@diba.cat 45
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) MUNICIPALITY LIBRARY SERVICE LIBRARY 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 Population over 4.6 million 311 municipalities 189 libraries 9 mobile libraries
Library facilities: services offered by the Library Service 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
The Library Architecture Unit We give advice 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 (Video, by Santi Romero) Chief of Library Architecture Unit
Jordi Rubió i Balaguer library Sant Boi de Llobregat 2
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) ARCHITECT CLIENT CONTRACTOR
Dialog architect / client (I)
Dialog architect / client (II)
The client ARCHITECT CLIENT CONTRACTOR Ània Pluma Project manager OTC (Oficina Tècnica de Cooperació) Mariona Muxart Municipal Architect Sant Boi de Llobregat Teresa Pagès Library Director Jordi Rubió i Balaguer library Ignasi Bonet Adviser Library Service
The architects ARCHITECT CLIENT CONTRACTOR AV 62 Antonio Foraster, Victoria Garriga www.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 building as an object, sometimes as if it was a sculpture, as an element of urban reference. This means that the building 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, symmetry, aligned walls and furniture, colors, textures Then the architect forgets about the other aspects: clima, acoustics, direct sunlight, usability, ergonomics, space needed for equipment
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!) 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.
Competition project Architecture quality Low visual impact Good space layout Environmentally suitable Clear access
Ground floor
First floor
Shelving and collection layout
Interviews video Why did the 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? 3
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
THANK-YOU! IGNASI BONET PEITX Architect of Library Architecture Unit bonetpin@diba.cat www.diba.cat/biblioteques 14th LIBER Architecture Group Seminar BUDAPEST APRIL 2008 Building on experience: learning from the past to plan fo the future