The Hyde Park Library

 

Client / Location Archasm / London, U.K.

Year / Status 2017 / Conceptual

Typology Public / Institutional / Urban, Competition Entry 

Site Area / Built-up Area 7481 sq.m. / 3951 sq.m.

 

The Hyde Park Library envisions reading spaces close to nature; relaxing and refreshing. It is evolved around the concept of ‘reading under the shade’ and thus retains all the existing trees in the site to provide open air reading areas as well as reading cubicles under the tree canopies. The design celebrates the idea of ‘the creative countryside’ by utilising the greenery and view provided by the park, amid the bustling city. The library also has an open administration where the staff share the same spaces as the users beside the coffee shop for effective interaction and knowledge sharing. This not only enable users to improve knowledge but also strengthens the sense of ownership of the shared library by reinforcing community relationships.

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The building acts as a subdued background for the activity of reading (and thereby learning followed by creation) and hence is designed as a simple rectangular form of stabilised mud and concrete structure with an uninterrupted glass facade facing the lake. The library site is surrounded by an artificial pond that acts as the ‘fluid wall’ that separates the outdoor reading areas and the public park. The mud removed for creating the pond makes the primary building material for the library.