Please, stop turning the library into an internet celebrity punch card!

▲ Shenzhen Litchi Bay Park design LCC

Speaking of libraries, everyone remembers the most beautiful library in China some time ago - Tianjin Binhai Library.

The world's top teams create architectural spaces, with undulating white staircases and bookshelves like waves, coupled with an eye-like design that makes the library a social currency for the circle of friends as soon as it opens.

But the white bookshelf has become a literary and artistic background wall for live broadcast practitioners and selfie enthusiasts, and the stairs originally designed as reading seats are crowded with people taking pictures, and readers who want to read books can only retreat to the reading room.

Should the library become a place for Internet celebrities to punch cards?

Some people think that today's libraries have become marketing places that rub hot spots on the Internet, and they are not practical enough. How many citizens can insist on going to these new libraries after the tasting is completed?

And some people think, why does the library have to be made into a quiet place that only punches Wenqing?

Others feel that bookstores are now quite involuted, and if the library is not innovative, it is easy to be eliminated.

It is indeed such a theory, in the third and fourth-tier cities, in fact, there is no shortage of libraries have been unattended, as said upstairs, the current library is being affected by various internet red bookstores, popularity is not as good as a day, otherwise there is no need to find ways to hold personal exhibitions to attract more people to come.

Andrew Berman Architect at stapleton library

Innovation in architectural space is undoubtedly a good medicine for libraries that are in dire need of popularity. But it also led to the question that the previous netizens said: the library is too noisy, and it still does not let people read?

▲ State Library of the Republic of Tatarstan XOPA

The fundamental solution to this problem lies in the rational layout of the functional space and the auxiliary guidance, isn't it?

How to divide the functional space of the library?

First of all, we must understand clearly, the 8 functional areas of the library:

1) Entrance area: a console containing entrance space, storage space and entrance and exit, where readers need to go directly to the service center and reading area.

▲ Dongtai Library Complex renovates ORIA and Rui Building

2) Service center area: including service desk, catalog search hall, mainly convenient for readers to consult or retrieve books. This partition had to be directly accessible to the reader and had access to the major reading areas.

▲ Billie Jean King, master library Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

3) Public activity area: lecture hall, exhibition hall, bookstore, etc. Both associated with other spaces and independent, it can be designed somewhere in the library.

4) Reading area: a space that integrates reading, collection, borrowing and management. First of all, it must be easy to reach, and secondly, it can be directly connected to the library.

5) Library area: including basic library, shop library, reserve library, and various special collection libraries. It should be separated from the reading area and connected, so as to facilitate the collection, transportation, and requirement of its own separate entrance and exit.

▲ Cedar Rapids Public Library OPN Architects

6) Office area: including administrative office and business space. It is generally located in a more secluded part of the library.

▲ State Library of the Republic of Tatarstan XOPA

7) Technical equipment area: air conditioning machine room and other technical equipment room. It can be set up near the reading room and the library area, and the hidden door can be entered.

8) Living area: it is a place for library staff to rest, there is a canteen, there is a place to rest. It must be separated from other functions of the library and have separate entrances and exits.

After understanding the ribbon, we will start to layout, generally there are 6 types:

During the design process, quiet partitioning is also required. For example, the problems mentioned at the beginning, such as exhibition halls, lecture halls and other commercial rooms, can set some Internet celebrity punch points here, and then do a good job of separating them from the reading room and office to reduce interference.

▲ Columbus City Library NBBJ

The method of partitioning is generally divided into two types: horizontal and vertical.

Remember! The library is not as simple as you think!

Don't think that as long as the functional space is divided, the library can be done well. You'll also have to understand the relevant design specifications and big principles. The Tianjin Binhai Library mentioned at the beginning does this very well, and under the premise of meeting all the specifications, it can also play with the design, which is not simple.

▲ Stanbridge Mill Library Crawshaw Architects

In addition to the norms, it is also necessary to look at the cases of famous libraries at home and abroad and analyze them (there is a big difference between analysis and no analysis!). ), SU models of the library, CAD drawings, etc.

However, these are all for you to sort out.

Special topic materials on architectural research in the compound library

General directory of materials

01- Library Design Project Drawing Collection

02- Library Design Code + Theory

03 - Library Case Study

04- Library SU Model Collection

05- Library Construction Drawings Collection

Library design project drawing collection

Library Design Code + Theory

Library case study

Library SU Model Collection

Library construction drawing collection