Varna Regional Library
This proposal of Varna library competition is from Cưng Architects, like a transparent sculpture in the city with a beautiful scenery view towards Sea garden of Varna.
Architects: Cưng Architects
Location: Varna, Bungary
Architects in Charge: Thanh Hoang Phuc Ly, Khuyen Do
Design Team: Dinh Anh Huy Nguyen, Xuan Trang Nguyen, Tien Vinh Trinh, Trong Nhan Ho.
Project Year: 2015
VARNA LIBRARY
Varna is the city with a long history and bold culture along 6000 years*. Throughout its history, the architecture of the city is rapidly changed with many styles and materials. But still, by Varna’s climate, and culture, the buildings in the city remain solid form with strong architectural language.
TRANSPARENT SCULPTURE
By that, our main goal for this proposal is to create a "modern sculpture” inside the most important public space of the city. The overall form of proposed library retains the basic grid of city urban, connecting with every possible site circulation. By adding and removing the mass, the proposal will be treated like an artefact, but its form still remain a simple contemporary building.
By mixing of monochrome poly carbonate panels, glazing panel and a white marble interior, the building is not only match with the brutalism community hall next door in grey concrete-white colour theme, but also make it stand out from the rest of the local building around. Those materials are while similar when you look at from distance. This make building’s envelop is a continuing game of defining the transparent and solid in between. The little struggle mind game bring out a metaphor for the priceless of knowledge. Everything could be a blur, or a solid stone in front of you until you learn and find the truth inside.
From the overall view angle, the proposed form and the material give the library a strong character and bold identity without break off the communication with surround building.
THE SEASIDE GARDEN READING ROOM
Varna city have a treasure waiting for dig in, the Seaside garden.
“It is the Bulgarian port city of Varna's largest, oldest and best known public park, also said to be the largest landscaped park in the Balkans. Located along the city's coast on the Black Sea, it is an important tourist attraction and a national monument of landscape architecture. “ - Wiki
To bring out the best view in city, the proposed project try to levitating the main reading room. While floating in middle the air, the large reading room become the strongest key point in the library. With 3 storeys height, the reading room have many reading rooms for teen, adult and researchers. This design tend to let tourist and people in city to observe the traditional buildings and scenery of the original Varna from the main building.
This element is also harmony with community hall next door, which has many parts be levitated in its mass.
THE NEW SYMBOL OF VARNA CULTURAL ACTIVITTIES.
The ceiling of this reading room is covered by copper material. This intention is a simulated to many building in Varna that have landmark metallic roof. This particular material made the room standout not only in interior but also become a space pin people can remember.
In the other side of the overhang reading room, the digital screen under slab will update every cultural event in the city, also the new book information. This screen become “a bell” of the library to bring out the freshness and vitality of Varna’s cultural activities.
The Lobby of library have been push behind a half-arch exhibition space. This is the space that library have a dialogue with landscape in front of. This space to be a central stage of many events like cultural presentation event or new book releasing ceremony.
All those events and dynamic activities make the new library become a new symbol of Varna. The library that connect culture, knowledge and people together.
Ground level built-up area : 2 073,74 m2
Total built-up area of the overground levels : 11 814,23 m2
Total area of landscape areas in the range of the competition plot and the building : 4 346,26 m2
Number of parking spots in the underground garage : 260 m2
