Veria Library
03/15
 The brief asked for the renovation of the multipurpose room and offices of the highly successful public library of Veria town in northern Greece. The active, open minded program of this library won it the award and funding for best performing library in the world from the Bill Gates institution in 2010. The existing building of the library is a mess; complex shaped rooms and corridors limit communication between different functions and make the organization difficult for visitors and users to overview. The proposal aimed to enlarge and clarify the existing complex space of the multipurpose room as much as possible so that flexibility and openness would be maximized and that the room would be able to work in synergy with the different programs housed in the building. The main separating interior wall was replaced by a movable system of glass panels that can control or completely open up the room to accommodate the different programs that can now be seen from outside. A kitchenette was added to serve public events. The office space was also reorganized so as to enlarge circulation and working spaces and to ensure that natural light penetrates the whole floor.
status: invited competition, second prize
program: library multipurpose room and offices renovation area: 307m2 location: Veria, Greece team: Konstantinos Pantazis, Marianna Rentzou, Eleni Pourdala client: Stauros Niarchos Cultural Center, Veria Public Library year: 2015  |
