The suburban area of Galinciems is lacking a space dedicated to the community, therefore the municipality of Ventspils is planning to construct a new library building that could serve this function.

This proposal is a one storey building with an emphasised roof that unifies the library rooms and the communal areas into one combined free-flowing space that visually breaks down the barriers between the different functions and the indoor and outdoor spaces.

The development of technology has changed the role of a library in today’s society. With an increasing accessibility to information by personal means (such as computers, smartphones, …) other aspects besides this have gained importance. The library is no longer solely a place for storing books, it is also a space for interaction, be it direct or indirect. This became the central topic for the design – to create a sense of being together under on roof, without compromising the funcional requirements of each area. The open plan is given a structure by the concrete beam grid in the ceiling, which marks different zones and allows to fix sliding glass partitions where necessary.

The central room in the building is the courtyard, which is lit by sun rays that enter through an opening in the roof slab. The courtyard opens towards the park area to the back of the building and creates a calm space for holding small events or reading a book in the open air. The circular opening in the roof creates scenography of light for diverse events.