Open Library in Primary School Vič, Ljubljana

Open Library - Jury's report 

Open Library in Primary School Vič offers a solution to the problem of laying out the space of a school library in a convincing and considered way. In doing so, it establishes a extraordinary new junction of knowledge and encounters, one fitting for a contemporary general-use public library. The establishment of "space within a space" responds to the dynamic of the organisation of the school spaces lined along the central corridor and merging into a common hall, and follows the everyday school rhythm as dictated by the sequence of lessons, breaks, and activities. With its porous doors, the siting of the library into the existing small school hall lacking both a ceiling and walls encourages the wandering and wondering about books and gives up on reading-hall silence so as to become an accessible multi-purpose space of socialising and studying.

The path towards an open library wasn't straightforward or predetermined. The original commission stipulated an establishment of a new classroom required by the school due to a rising number of pupils. This was the second time the authors were faced with such a task: some years earlier, their compact annex along the eastern facade of the school had provided two quality classrooms. Their current task was subject to change in the course of the design process. The decision to swap the available spaces and programmes gave rise to establishing an additional classroom in the old library and transforming the unremarkable small school hall into the new library.

The lithe timber structure of the library with the inset metal frames makes use of the central hall's design, opens upwards into the open space, incorporates the existing semi-circular staircase, and takes advantage of the upper-floor corridor, designating it as a vantage point over the goings-on in the library. The precise execution of the seemingly unpretentious yet considered and harmonious design enables the sequencing of open bookshelves and enclosed bookcase sections, adding stand-alone furniture elements and creatively designed chairs, as well as communication with the central section organised into a visitors' working and reading area. The transparent membrane, an assemblage of the structure, furnishings, and books simultaneously separates and unifies the school space.

 The adaptability and the upgrade path, which the library is to experience through everyday use and the accumulation of the book inventory, are both built in. The accessibility of the book inventory and the well-being of the visitors in the new-old school space are paramount. The symbolic placement of books in the heart of the school encourages the culture of reading and the cultural and artistic education, while the library leverages its aesthetic and ethical dimensions to raise awareness of the significance of high-quality spaces for the understanding of culture and the values of architecture.

The jury recognises the high level of quality in design, execution, and impact on the users of Open Library. The project is classified as a small-scale architectural realisation - even regarding the complex of the entire school building, it represents only its minor part - yet it manifestly outstrips its physical scale and serves as proof that even minor architectural tasks may reach beyond mere technical and functional questions and may successfully address social, emotional, and cultural aspects. Moreover, Open Library is a testament to the potential of smaller layouts for the establishment of spaces which connect diverse uses and meanings and thus foster a new identity of space to meet the requirements of its users.