C O M M U N I T Y L I B R A R Y
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A design of a community library within an urban infill site. The design of the building consists of appropriate architectural responses that address the aspects of the urban street context and user behavioural patterns as discerned and analysed. Apart from developing a narrative on architectural strategy in response to the relevant questions pertaining to community and its context, the design is in consideration to a holistic application of structural, spatial, functional and environmental requirements to address the user needs for a community library.
Medan Pasar,Jalan Hang Kasturi, is a well renowned heritage site and a popular tourist attraction in Kuala Lumpur. Strategically
situated in the heart of the city, it is just a few minutes from another popular tourist attraction, Petaling Street. This area
comprised of two major centres which are Central Market and Masjid Jamek are. Its strategic location acts as a collection and
dispersion point of people to come from or to go to other places as at both ends of the street situated two main LRT stations ( LRT
Pasar Seni and LRT Masjid Jamek) In Jalan Hang Kasturi, the shop houses are linearly arranged in responding to the ‘River of Life’
(Klang river) where back then, settlements started along the river and a continuity of development began since then. The site is
located along rows of shop houses with a public square in front of both adjacent shop houses.
The urban regeneration is creating a transient community along
Medan Pasar. As observed on site, people use the Medan Pasar
square mainly as a pathway to go to other streets or places. The
user group are of diverse community, creating a unique mix of
cultural identities, socioeconomic backgrounds, religion,
languages and beliefs. These created a solid barrier between
these community.
The design of this library consists of five different levels
consisting of different programmatic response and approaches
in complementing with the needs of diverse user group in
Medan Pasar.The key idea in designing the ground floor is to create a continuity of the existing public square located right in front of the site.
An extension of the pavement of the square is designed to be extended all the way from the front to the rear side of the
community library. To enhance the continuity, a continuous courtyard is located to tie the spaces together, vertically and
horizontally. The first floor as a digital library, with the structure that forms the façade are extended to create a continuity of the
five foot covered walkway and as to capture the views from the outside and vice versa. The angularity of the structures allow
users to have a view throughout the active spaces inside. The second and third floor of the library compromise academic collections , with different spatial experience on both levels,
whereby its interconnected with the central vertical continuous courtyard. The third floor consists of more private designed study
spaces where the second floor is designed to be as in grouping study spaces. The design of the library is in consideration to the views of
people from inside and so are what people see from the
outside. The use of different levelling of floors in capturing
views that the site offers.
The façade is designed to be of permeable structure that gives
visual connectivity to users while diffusing natural light and
ventilation. The use of ventilating concrete block screen on the
façade allow the visibility of movement of people inside the
building. In conjunction with the façade design, the rear elevation of this
community library is designed to be of permeable structure as
well in generating people from the nodes of people walking and
passing through the back alley of the building. Visual
connectivity is applied on the front and rear elevations, covering
the overall building envelope to achieve the divergence of
people into this proposed community library.
