Ravetllat Ribas Arquitectes designed the ’3th District Library’ in Terrassa, Spain.
Description from the architects:
The site is located on a flood of Vallparadís margin giving front to Germà Joaquim’s street, in the area of the Fourth Phase of Vallparadís Park. The project of the library is adapted to urbanization of the area and serves the neighbourhood, becoming also a milestone for the park.
Located halfway between the sidewalk and a footbridge that crosses the park, the building seeks to make sense of the discrepancy between the street and the bottom of the stream. Although the functional program of the library recommended a single floor building, we proposed the construction of two floors. The highest, on the slope of the street, guarantees the visibility of the library from the city and becomes the main access to the building; the lowest faces to the park and offers its roof to make a public space that acts as a viewpoint to the park and the city.
The ground floor of the library opens to the plaza façade without obstructing the view over Vallparadís. On the ground floor there are the most recreational spaces, which need more contact with the street: the hall, the reception, a multipurpose room, and the areas with magazines and music. Over this floor is raised an enclosure that hides the building facilities and machinery, supports the labels of the library and becomes the claim element of it. At the lowest floor we find the rest of the program, with the areas for the children and youth and the administration.
The communication between the two floors is made through a very visible staircase, located in a triple space which receives light from a skylight above. This space plus an open patio serve to illuminate the children’s area, which has little façade to the exterior. The structure is a simple grid of columns and slabs of concrete. The facilities run through ceilings that have been sized generously and can be easily registered.
The exterior appearance is all made by brick, giving an image of unity to the project. In some significant areas the brick wall allows the formation of lattices that makes internal and external linking. The only exception solved with concrete is the large window to the park on the lower floor, which contains elements of brise-soleil.
| Firms | Ravetllat Ribas Arquitectes |
| Location | Terrassa, Spain |
| Project Architects | Pere Joan Ravetllat Mira, Carme Ribas Seix, Manuel Ribas Piera, Carles Casamor Maldonado, Marta Gabàs Gonzalo, Anna Ribas Seix |
| Area | 1,260.66 m2 |
| Photography | Adrià Goula |
3th District Library,
