Bay of Gibraltar Campus Library

About

Part of the plan to modernize the Bay of Gibraltar Campus of the University of Cádiz (UCA) is this library with an abstract skin of perforated aluminum that dissipates solar overheating. Rather than functioning as a university service exclusively, it is an urban facility with a multipurpose room for use by citizens at large. The three-floor building breaks up into trays that make the internal organization readable from outside and result in just the right scale. One facade being blind because it is a party wall, lantern-like skylights have been created in the stairwells, through which the reading rooms are naturally lit. The library features spaces for socializing as well as for working and holding meetings. The architecture is flexible. Uses can be modified with slight adaptations, thanks to a structural system of large spans, composed of screened pillars of concrete and gridded slabs.

Sources

• Arquitectura Viva