Klaipėda City Municipal Public Library FREE ARCHITECTURE COMPETITIONS

Klaipėda city municipal public library seeks to create modern libraries close to the homes of Klaipėda citizen, ensuring equal opportunities for all users to conveniently use all types of universal information resources for cultural, recreational, self-education and life-long learning needs.

​

It has been found that the needs of users for the library change due to changes in the functions of  libraries. When planning the construction of a new library, it is necessary to take into account the trends of the change of libraries, which are highly diverse and depend on the city’s goals and financial capacity. A modern library building is an attribute of a contemporary city.

A modern library building is an attribute of a contemporary city

​

Main areas of activities of public libraries:

• Community centre in the southern part of the city

• Traditional areas of library activities

• Space adapted to the needs of community members for lifelong learning,

• Place of leisure, communication and meeting for the community

• Centre of information technologies available for the community

• Comfortable space for the members of the community with special needs

​

Library collection – 150 000 copies, of which:

• Fiction literature collection

• Scientific literature collection

• Children’s literature collection

• Art and music collection

• Periodicals

• Audio and video collection

​

Library user’s profile

• Pregnant woman

• Primary school pupils

• Secondary school students

• Students

• Elderly people

• Job seekers

• Disabled

• Self-employed

​

Preliminary flows of visitors – 1000 visitors per day

The total area of the library – community centre is estimated at 2600 – 2800 sq.m.

​

Significance

The new building will be the central public library of Klaipėda city municipality. The architecture of the new library should be perceived as an important public object to the city and produce a positive impact on the image and liveliness on the surrounding mass construction residential districts.

​

Sence of community

The goal of the new library is to strengthen and expand its role as a meeting and communication place for the residents of Klaipėda. The public library should become a safe, non-commercial space for self-education, creativity, leisure, communication, and work. Visitors should come here in search of knowledge, entertainment or simply led by a sense of community spirit to discuss, listen, or to have some quiet time.

​

Source of inspiration

The library should welcome and introduce visitors to new ways of learning and cognition.

​

An active navigator in a vast information space

The library’s infrastructure must be adapted for the quality and convenient provision of knowledge in various forms for visitors of different ages and social groups. Spaces should be adapted for both individual and group work.