City Living Rooms: Varna Library, Bulgaria

CITY LIVING ROOMS
Varna Library, Bulgaria

T I T L E PA G E ABSTRACT
Architecture & Design This report is the product of the 4th master semes-
Department of Architecture, Design & Media Tech- ter project focusing on sustainable architecture and
nology tectonics. The outline of the project is the competition
Aalborg University for Varna Public Library in Bulgaria. Varna Library
Project title: City Living rooms Building aims to combine traditional function of li-
Project module: Master Thesis brary- storage of digital and physical resources, with a
Project theme: Library social function of meeting and working. With a strong
Period: 03rd of Feb 2016 – 26th of May, 2016 focus on social sustainability, this project attempts
Group: MSc04-ark36 to create a new attractive alternative for gaining
Semester: MSc04-Ark Spring 2016 knowledge and spending free time for all members of
Number of prints: 4 community and incorporate additional functions into
Number of pages: 61 the library program.
Supervisor: Mogens Fiil Christensen
Technical supervisor: Peter Vilhelm Nielsen
Group members:
Alicja Pawlak
Ruta Beniusyte
2
CONTENT
Introduction 4 Materials 66
Methodology 5 Daylight 68
Indoor environment 69
THEME ANALYSIS Structure 70
History of libraries 8 PROCESS

Why do we need libraries? 9
Sustainability 10 Masterplan 74
Tectonics 11 Concept 75
Public spaces in Bulgaria 12 Volume study 76
Library users and conditions in Varna 13 Indoor environment 78
Positive effects of indoor plants 14 Plan layouts 80
Case study: Sendai Mediatheque 15 Structure 81
Case study: Birmingham library 17 Facades 82
Conclusion 18 Conclusion 84
Reflection 85
SITE ANALYSIS Literature list 86
Image list 87
Site 22
Sense of place 23
Typologies 24
Green public spaces 25
Noise 26
Climate 27
Sun 28
Conclusion 29
USERS
Users 32
Functional diagram 33
VISION
Vision 36
P R E S E N TAT I O N
Concept 40
City living rooms 42
Function diagram 43
Masterplan 44
Plans 46
Sections 56
Details 60
Facades 62
3
INTRODUCTION
The focus of our master thesis project is aimed to-

wards the design of a new sustainable library building
in the center of Varna, Bulgaria. Besides the archi-
tectural focus, there is a technical focus on creating
a library building with good indoor environment.
However, sustainability is more than a concern for
resources and has to be viewed as a holistic concept
between three aspects” social, environmental and eco-
nomic ( (DAC, 2014). Our project focuses on social
aspect of sustainability and aims to answer a question
about library role in Bulgarian community.
We aim for a designing a tectonic structure that
express the idea of spatial flexibility and creates struc-
tural logic.
Our goal was to design a building which shows

contemporary attitude towards librarian ship and
books which provides a variety of functions in order
to become an attractive space in the city structure.
(GEHL,J. (2008) Life between Buildings:Using Public
Space. Danish Architecture Press) “The institution of
the traditional library should no longer be defined as a
free information store but as a vital public space of en-
counter in the city.” (BOCK, I.KOOLHAAS, R.(2015)
Six Canonical Projects by rem Koolhaas:Essays on the
History of Ideas. Jovis. p 263).
4
METHODOLOGY
This project, new Varna Library proposal, is designed The final solution and expression is a logical result
by applying the integrated design method described of improvements and calculations which optimized
by Mary – Ann Knudstrup (Knudstrup, 2005). The the first idea deriving from the analysis and sketching
main concept of this integrated method is to combine phases. The final phase- presentation concludes the
an architectural and an engineering approach towards design and it is presented in graphical materials, tech-
the design of the building. Integrated design process is nical drawings, render, physical models, etc.
an essential feature of a problem based learning. The This process enables to go back and forth one phase to
whole process consists of non linear stages, which are: another, but in the same time it assures that the final
problem, analysis, sketching, synthesis and presenta- solution is entirely integrated by compiling knowledge
tion. from diverse design stages in repeated process. In the
First phase is problem or idea, the main problem is following project the integrated design process was
addressed and defined. In a preceding phase of analysis used and the relevant material is presented.
all the information about the site, users, climate etc. is
gathered and registered. Information and knowledge
collected during analysis lead to a distinct vision for a
design and parameters, that will be used in the follow-
ing phases of the process. Sketching phase is charac-
terized by a variety of technical and design ideas, that
are examined and many experimentations, simulations
are carried out, to specify the final solution through
narrowing down design parameters. Next phase
which is synthesis of all the ideas derived from sketch-
ing phase are worked on detailed and consolidated in
one clear and consistent project concept.
1 PROBLEM / IDEA 2 ANALYSIS 3 SKETCHING 4 SYNTHESIS 5 PRESENTATION
5
THEME ANALYSIS
History of libraries
Why do we need libraries?
Sustainability
Tectonics
Public spaces in Bulgaria
Library users and conditions in Varna
Positive effects of indoor plants
Case study: Sendai Mediatheque
Case study: Birmingham library
Conclusion
THEME ANALYSIS
HISTORY OF LIBRARIES
Libraries have always played an important role in the according to the function (national libraries, science ).
development of human intelligence and culture. For libraries, children libraries, reference libraries etc.).
centuries it has been a place for storing knowledge, Smaller and bigger towns in Europe and North Amer-
experience and imagination in a written form. ica started opening public loan libraries, as a result the
In the first libraries around 2600 BC in Mesopotamia majority of population started having access to books.
earliest forms of writing – clay tablets and cuneiform
script were stored. There is also evidence of libraries In the XX century the architecture of the libraries
in ancient Egypt and Babylon which consisted of cor- started focusing more on the interior spaces and the
respondence, inventories and trade documents as well architects put a greater emphasis on daylight in the
as written myths. First private libraries appeared in rooms and readers comfort. In the XIX century and
classical Greece around 500 BC, when books became earlier the function of the libraries was more static for
a symbol of status which was also associated with storing books and in the begging of the XX century it
literacy. changed dramatically. Libraries became more focused
on circulation and accessibility of books, which was
During the period of Roman Empire the number of directly expressed through the design. The aisles
public libraries in the region grew. Later after spread between the shelves became wider, shelves lower, the
and of Christianity in Europe the libraries were skylights were introduces to provide more daylight.
overtaken by church and became even more extensive (DICKSON, P. (1986), The Library in America: A Cele-
centers of thought, education and religion. In the bration inWords and Pictures, Facts On File Publications,
libraries ran by monks most books were chained to New York.).
the shelves (bookpresses) because of the great value In the second half of the XX century another shift in
although the libraries still loaned them if equal value library architecture and planning happened. Libraries
deposit was provided in exchange. At that time typical started being designed including more functions than
book shelf organization system, also used today, just book storage and reading rooms. New functions
appeared. Bookpresses were put on top of each other like exhibition spaces, rooms for cultural events, F i g.1.1
and orientated perpendicular to the walls in rows to restaurants and cafeterias were added to new libraries.
The Long Room, an early 18th century
increase the daylight in the room. Unfortunately, those Spaces become easily transformable and flexible,
university library in Trinity College,
libraries were only available for selected people from suitable for readying, studying, working in groups, Dublin, Ireland.
the church and the royalties. collaborations etc. (WIGGINS, G (1997) Louis I. Kahn
The library at Phillips Exeter academy, Wiley & Sons,
In the renaissance books became more accessible Incorporated, John)
because of the invention of a printed book. Humanists
started establishing their own libraries around which In the begging of the XXI century rapid development
their patrons and scholars would gather. Later during of technology changed the way libraries were orga-
the enlightenment the golden age of libraries began nized and types of information they stored dramat-
and most of the world famous libraries were estab- ically. Most of information nowadays is digitalized
lished (British Library, London, UK; Saint Genevieve therefor new types of libraries (hybrid, digital, virtual)
Lib19rary, Paris, France). Also a new type of library emerge. In digital and virtual libraries all information
emerged – national library. “This new institution was recourses are in digital form and no printed media is
the first of a new kind of museum – national, belong- stored, it can be accessed from anywhere and a phys-
ing to neither church nor king, freely open to the pub- ical aspect of printed books storage disappears. Many
lic and aiming to collect everything.” (DUNTON, L. argues that this is the future of libraries and that they F i g.1.2
(1896). TheWorld and Its People. Silver, Burdett. p. 38.) will not be needed in a present form anymore. All
information will be digitalized and we will be able to Medieval bookpress.The books are chained
In the XIX century new public libraries started access it virtually. (VERHEUL, I. (2010) Digital library to shelves in order to avoid theft.
emerging in Europe. Also they became more divided futures: User perspectives and strategies, IFLA Publications
8
THEME ANALYSIS
WHY DO WE NEED LIBRARIES?
• H E R I TA G E •MEETING AND WORKING PLACE
Books in a written form are valuable, because they are a “The library can come to be, however, a good meeting place:
source of collective knowledge and wisdom of our culture public librarians… have responsibility to offer a physical
and have to be preserved for future generations. as well as a virtual meeting place. Both types of space are
important and must be nurtured”.( MARCUM, D. B. (1998)
•LITERACY PROMOTION Redefining community through the public library, p.204)
“We believe that libraries are uniquely situated to promote

literacy and reading. It is a part oft heir mission.”
(IFLA/UNESCO Public Library Manifesto, 1994).
• P O S I T I V E I M PA C T O F R E A D I N G
Reading books in a paper form affects people positively.

Research from the Stavanger University, Norway show that
reading texts on paper instead of computer increases text
comprehension.
(ACADEMIA (2013) Mangen, A.,Walgermo, B., & Brønnick, K.
(2013). Reading linear texts on paper versus computer screen: Effects
on reading comprehension, available at: https://www.academia.
edu/3055159/Mangen_A._Walgermo_B._and_Br%C3%B-
8nnick_K._2013_._Reading_linear_texts_on_paper_ver-
sus_computer_screen_Effects_on_reading_comprehension)
• I N S P I R AT I O N
Library architecture and atmosphere created by architecture

inspire people. By creating spaces for learning we can influ-
ence people to be more productive and creative.
• E Q U A L A C C E S S T O I N F O R M AT I O N
It provides equal access to information in general, because

according to statistics compared to EU countries Bulgarian
people have one of the poorest accesses to the Internet and
public information as well as lowest computer literacy skills.
(AGE PLATFORM (2013) Media literacy, digital exclusion and
older people http://www.age-platform.eu/images/stories/
ENpdf_AGE-media-A4-final-2.pdf
9
THEME ANALYSIS
S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y
The term “Sustainable Development” was introduced architecture.com/Files/RIBAProfessionalServices/ tal Protection Agency.) As libraries play also important
in 1987 by Word Commission on Environment and RIBAGuidetoSustainabilityinPractice.pdf [Accessed role in local communities. Gathering people, engaging
Development in the report titled Our Common 5 Feb. 2016].) In Sustainability the important issue is them in social activities and providing the conditions
Future. It states that: adaptability. Sustainable Architecture must provide for sharing the knowledge and discussion strengthen
“Sustainable development is development that meets flexible solutions due to progressive technological social cohesion and inclusion. Library should pro-
the needs of the present without compromising the development and consequently change of human vide facilities for different age groups and be easily
ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” behaviors and their expectation towards the space and accessible for disabled people what is in the spirit of
(WORLD COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENT function. Designing flexible structures is sustainable social sustainability which emphasize the importance
AND DEVELOPMENT(1987), Our Common Future, because when circumstances changes the design may of creating equal opportunities for all people. Due
pp. 4, Oxford University Press, New York), be easily functionally readjusted without high financial to technological development especially related to
Sustainability represents a balance that accommodates consequences. (FOSTER, N. (2003). Architecture and electronic information resources and the way to store
human needs without diminishing the health and pro- Sustainability. Foster + Partners. Available at: http:// them, library should be designed with the focus on
ductivity of natural systems. (MENDLER, S., (2006). www.fosterandpartners.com/media/546486/es- adaptability. Flexibility assures meeting the needs of
The HOK guidebook to sustainable design. Hoboken, N.J.: say13.pdf [Accessed 5 Feb. 2016].) future generations regarding function with minimizing
J. Wiley.) Sustainability requires simultaneous progress prospective financial input.
in three main dimensions environmental, social and
economical. In order to design truly sustainable build-
ing these three aspects should be balanced in equal S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y I N L I B R A R I E S
harmony.
Preservation of an environment should be a natural
Environmental dimension of sustainability can be and compatible objective for a library as an institution
expressed as the ability to maintain the qualities that which aims for resource sharing and enabling con-
are appreciated (valued) in the physical environment. servation. (DEWE, M. (2006). Planning public library
(SUTTON, P., 2004. A perspective on environmental buildings. Aldershot, England: Ashgate Pub., p.155.)
sustainability. Paper on theVictorian Commissioner for There are many Sustainability aspects of library archi-
Environmental Sustainability) In building design it focus tecture that must be taken into consideration in order
on reducing waste , effluent generation and emissions to design functional, efficient and safe building. The
to the environment , reducing negative impact on Library building must provide good working con-
human health, using the raw renewable materials and ditions what is strictly related to the indoor climate
elimination of toxic substances. Economic Sustainabil- in the building. For instance the indoor temperature
ity means creation of the new markets and opportu- affects human performance at work. (SEPPÄNEN, O.,
nities for growth and sales in the area, reduction of FISK, W. AND LEI, Q. (2006). Effect of Temperature on
costs through efficiency improvements and reducing Task Performance in Offfice Environment. 1st ed. [ebook]
energy and material inputs over the entire life cycle. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Available at:
Using different passive and active strategies in order https://indoor.lbl.gov/sites/all/files/lbnl-60946.pdf
to reduce energy demand of the building and increase [Accessed 8 Feb. 2016].) Meeting requirements for
ability to generate its own from pure, renewable lightning, acoustics, humidity and temperature well
sources is crucial in sustainable approach. The social as using low-impact building materials are crucial
factor of the Sustainability focuses on ensuring a as for creating healthy and pleasant environment
strong, healthy and just society. The goal is to meet in the building assuring avoidance of sick building
the diverse needs of all people in existing and future syndrome. “Sick building syndrome is a situations in
communities, promoting personal wellbeing, social which building occupants experience acute health
cohesion and inclusion, creating equal opportunity and comfort effects that appear to be linked to time
for all. (SULLIVAN, L. (2012). The RIBA Guide to spent in a building, but no specific illness or cause can
Sustainability in Practice. [online] Royal Institute of be identified.” (Indoor Air Facts No. 4 Sick Building
British Architects, p.7 Available at: https://www. Syndrome. (1991). 1st ed. United States Environmen-
10
THEME ANALYSIS
TECTONICS
Tectonic theory is one of the prime focus in the of Architecture, and The Danish Building Research main goal of library is to collect all the scattered phys-
development of the architectural field- it refers to Institute portray it as “a central attention towards the ical and digital resources, the structure should reflect
fundamental matter of how to coalesce aesthetics and nature, the properties, and the application of building this concept. Integration of tectonics and sustainability
technology.(SEMPER, G. (1989). The four elements of materials (construction) and how this attention forms is crucial when aiming for a designing a library for
architecture and other writings. Cambridge [England]: a creative force in building constructions, structural diverse users which provides quality working space
Cambridge University Press.) In order to achieve that features and architectural design (construing) – helps as well as good environment to preserve books and
the architectural quality should be considered in terms to identify and refine technology transfer in contem- promote them as a source of information and cultural
of method and not as a question of style. (BÖTTICH- porary industrialized building construction’. Tectonic heritage.
ER, K. 1852, The tectonics of the Hellenes, Postdam) view takes into consideration material aspects as
According to Frampton a term tectonics means a “an existing phenomenon on the human living and
poetics of construction. He claims that the build in existence”. (Frampton, Kenneth: Studies in tectonic
the first place is a construction, that develops into an culture: The poetics of construction in nineteenth
abstract discussion on surfaces, volumes and plane. He and twentieth century architecture. John Cava (E.).
also states that architecture is related to the building Cambridge: MIT Press, 1995) Material relevance is
skin what accentuate the value of representational inevitably linked to sustainable architecture. Since
dimension. Considering architecture as a multifaceted environmental sustainability focuses primarily on re-
assemblage. (FRAMPTON, K: Studies in tectonic cul- duction of energy consumption and CO2 emission the
ture:The poetics of construction in nineteenth and twentieth choice of materials the and construction is crucial. So
century architecture. John Cava (E.). Cambridge: MIT tectonic work influence sustainable solutions directly
Press, 1995.) The importance of tectonic expression and requires thoughtful approach towards resources.
which is inseparable relation between artistic expres- Tectonic architecture based itself on materiality and
sion and constructive logic is as relevant and should be structural form in order to achieve the performative
equally emphasized as the space and function concept. architecture also promotes the thermal comfort,
((SEKLER, E. Structure, construction, tectonics. In: KEPES, natural resources preservation as well as reduction of
Gyorgy (Org.). Structure in art and in science. Nova York: energy consumption. (PANTOJA, M., (2014). Towards
George Braziller, 1965.) the performative architecture through the tectonic vision.
Journal of Architecture and Engineering, Vol. 1, p.http://
Reconsideration of the character of tectonic theory architecture.scientific-journal.com/.)
seems to be essential when approaching issue of pres-
ent everyday situation of the build environment. As we
face the increasing floor space in public buildings that TECTONICS IN LIBRARIES
is dealt with as performative structural frameworks as
a substitute for qualitative spaces for contemplation Library building is a structural challenge due to its
and habitation.(NORDIC JOURNAL OF ARCHI- mixed-use program which requires functional flex-
TECTURAL RESEARCH, Vol. 27, No. 1 (2015): Ev- ibility. Public spaces should be easily adjustable and
eryday tectonics?) Tectonic as a concept is also related create many possibilities to furnish the space to meet
to Sustainable Architecture. These two fields com- needs of groups or individuals. There is also focus
plement each other and understanding the relation on adaptability to the future demands. Structure of
between them is a crucial while aiming for holistic the building should express idea of spatial flexibility,
approach towards architecture. Integration of these where everybody can shape the surroundings accord-
aspects requires rethinking the definition of tecton- ing to individual needs and also show the constructive
ics. The definition of tectonic thinking introduced in logic. Tectonic approach include designing a struc-
research project - Towards a tectonic sustainable build- ture that enables utilization of natural light creating
ing practice, that is presently (2010- 2014) executed conductive conditions and atmosphere to work, read
in collaboration between; The Royal Danish Academy and socialize. Book weight and shelves should be taken
of Fine Arts – School of Architecture, Aarhus School into account when thinking about the structure. As a
11
THEME ANALYSIS
P U B L I C S PA C E S I N B U L G A R I A
Bulgaria due to its warm climate with long summer

creates perfect conditions for people to spend their
time outdoors. Therefor, there are many public spaces
and parks that provide this opportunity. During our
study trip we have investigated public spaces in Sofia
and Varna but also how people occupy the space and
what are the need of current citizens. Our obser-
vations resulted in many relevant for our project
conclusions.
Bulgarians spend a lot of time in the parks and green

spaces. It is a part of their culture, therefore people
from different age groups occupy the space. Pub-
lic parks and green spaces are frequently visited by
families with children, so almost every park has at
least one playground which is always full. There are a
lot of playgrounds from Soviet era which are made of
concrete and steel- materials which are perceived as
cold and uninviting as well as dangerous. Public spaces
are mainly organized around important monuments,
statues and memorials. Elderly willingly spend their
time among greenery and they use public space to
gather and enjoy time during different activities-
chess, playing music or talking. There is a lack of
spaces adjusted to young people needs. Skate ramps,
seats are in bad conditions. Public spaces do not offer
variety of activities what is a disadvantage. There is a
lot of greenery and park arrangements with flowers.
In our opinion there is not enough public spaces that
offer engaging activities. There are a lot of greenery
that could be utilized better by designing an urban
furniture or renovating old ones.
F i g . 1. 3, 4, 5
Green public spaces inVarna and Sofia. Green public spaces attract
people to gather and engage in different activities together.
F i g . 1. 5, 6
In most public spaces the whole potential of the space is not used.
Playgrounds are ofter old and dangerous in a dangerous condition.
12
THEME ANALYSIS
L I B R A R Y U S E R S A N D C O N D I T I O N S I N VA R N A
Varna Library is going to be the first modern library

building in Bulgaria. Bulgarian libraries are mainly
located in post Soviet buildings or they are a part
of university buildings. One of the most import-
ant goals of Varna Library is to gather the books
and sources scattered around Varna. According to
Martin Hristov (the chairman of Bulgarian chamber
of architects) the absence of main library building
creates a problem- library does not fulfill the social
function in the city what makes it a place of obtaining
a source of information but not a pleasant space to
spend free time. During our study trip to Varna we
had a chance to interview students from University of
Economics. The information we gathered confirmed
that young people do not see library as an alternative
for spending their time but rather as a place visited
when they need specialist literature. Libraries in
Varna are not easily accessible and due to control in
the entrance and difficulties in obtaining an access to
certain sections people do not perceive it as a friendly
and inviting space. While visiting the library located
in Varna Municipality building we could have seen
that spaces do not offer good working conditions.
Poor natural light conditions, narrow corridors, small
hermetic spaces without sufficient ventilation and lack
of computing equipment makes learning process less
efficient. These conditions contribute to general lack
of popularity of library spaces and creates a situation
when a visit in library becomes unpleasant obligation
Environment does not offer additional functions,
attractive public spaces that are better than working
conditions at home. Therefore, it is important to meet
users needs but also by the design and hybrid function
of the building- change their definition of Library and
make it attractive alternative for spending a free time
and socializing.
F i g . 1. 7, 8, 9
Varna Public library.The conditions in the library are unsatisfacto-

ry. The spaces are small and dark, not adapted to users’ needs.
F i g . 1. 10
Varna University of Economics library is designed for students. It is

small but filled with daylight.
13
THEME ANALYSIS
POSITIVE EFFECTS OF INDOOR PLANTS
Introducing greenery in the building improves indoor pleasant. The efefct of that is atmosphere enhancing
environment and affects users of the building. Plants in creativity and concentration as well as good indoor
the building may positively influence users experience air quality. Indoor greenery helps to fulfill these needs
and indoor climate. and is a sustainable natural solution. (SHIBATA, S.
and SUZUKI, N. (2004). Effects of an indoor plant
on creative task performance and mood. Scandinavian
•CARBON DIOXIDE REDUCTION Journal of Psychology, 45(5), pp.373-381.)
Elevated levels of carbon dioxide negatively affect

humans productivity and ability to concentrate.
During photosynthesis process plants extract CO2 and
exchange it with fresh oxygen. The effect is accelerat-
ed when plants have more access to natural light.
F i g . 1. 11
• I N D O O R A I R P U R I F I C AT I O N Visual connection with the plans in the building creates many posi-
tive effect on users. Hiroshi Senju Museum in Karuizawa (Japan).
Indoor plants filter the air in the building and they
have the ability to remove compounds as benzene and
hexane in the range of 50%-70% of a total volatile
organic compounds. For PM10 , Bulgaria is the top
polluted European country with 77 µg/m3 on the
daily mean concentration when EU limit is 50 50 µg/
m3. ( EEA (2014). Air quality in Europe 2014 report )
•LOWERING STRESS
Studies suggest that presence of the plants has

stress-reducing effects on people in the room what
also causes an increase of productivity. (Dijkstra, K.,
Pieterse, M. and Pruyn, A. (2008). Stress-reducing
effects of indoor plants in the built healthcare environ-
ment: the mediating role of perceived attractiveness.
Preventive Medicine, 47(3), pp.279-283.)
• I N S P I R I N G C R E AT I V I T Y
According to real life office studies, greenery in the

working space affects intellectual performance of us-
ers. It is proven that people generate more innovative
F i g . 1. 12
ideas and their problem solving skills increase while
working in the space with plants or flowers.
Intesa Sanpaolo Office Building in Turin (Italy) by Renzo Piano
Library environment should affect users in positive Architects. Light structure of the building emphasizes special mood
way and make learning process easier and more provided by the plants..
14
THEME ANALYSIS
CASE STUDY
CONCEPT This relation is also in floor plan designed for each in terms of energy efficiency and indoor climate but
function. The furnishing makes a plan- the curves half also in terms of atmosphere and working conditions
Sendai Mediatheque in Japan was designed by Toyo Ito walls, alignment of shelves, the leaf clover shaped seat- in library. Program of the building is distributed in the
and Associates Architects, who won the architectural ing. This arrangement helps disabled to shift around way to locate the administrative functions, restrooms
competition in 1995. Ito’s proposal is a mixed-use without any inconveniences. There are yellow lines on and offices are against northern stainless steel panels
public facility combining library and art gallery func- the floors helping to guide the once with limited sight. facade where natural light is not highly desired what
tions. The building aims to express the idea of flexibil- (Multimedia Library of Sendai by Toyo Ito. (2016). prevents the building from overheating. (Coulter, C.
ity, fluidity and manifest sense of freedom. In order to [video] Japan: Richard Copans.) Enhancing social (2004). Sendai Mediatheque. 1st ed. [PDF] Cali-
achieve that Toyo Ito decided to remove architectural equality through the concept of ‘barrier-free” space fornia: University of Southern California School of
partitions which define the space and dictate how to makes a building put an emphasis on social sustainabil- Architecture, p.5. Available at: http://www-bcf.
occupy it. Reflectivity and transparency of materials ity. Due to open floor plan and structure applied, the usc.edu/~kcoleman/Precedents/ALL%20PDFs/
gives the space ‘fluid’ spatial effect. This spatial and ground floor is open to the street what makes it an in- Ito_SendaiMediatheque.pdf [Accessed 18 Feb. 2016].)
functional ideas are held by the structural solutions. tegrated part of public space and enhance accessibility The “open square” multi-purpose event venue and cafe Fig.1.13
The structure consists of three elements- ‘plate’, as well as acts as a source of natural air and light. The on the ground floor enhance better usage of the space
‘tube’ and ‘skin’. The different diameter tubular col- interaction between outside and inside is also through through the whole day by prolonging the opening Clear glass Sendai Mediateque facade shows and emphasizes tectonic
umns composed of steel pipes support floor slab plates the southern transparent wall-free facade. This double hours until 10 p.m. what activates the area. qualities of the structure.
covered with the skin with different architectural ex- skin facade acts as buffer zone against solar gains and
pression on five exposed sides. The building is aiming also as an acoustic barrier. Due to occurring earth-
to embrace new media and computing by integrating quakes structure is a seismic and was designed with
this element into the modern urban environment .”In help of structural analysis by computer simulation for
terms of architectural genre the Sendai Mediatheque the technological verification. Sendai Mediatheque
was a pioneering example of attempts to use new express structural logic as well as poetics of the struc-
notions of ‘media’ as an architectural concept.” (Akira ture in relation to function and space what makes it a
Suzuki. Smt 2.0 – Upgrading the Sendai Mediatheque relevant exemplification of Tectonics. “Like trees in a
to Produce an Archive for the Folksonomy Era. VOL- forest glade the structure the scene in artificial nature,
UME, 15, (2008): 66-69.) they polarize the space creating places in the middle
of the shelving or wide circular areas for reading.
T E C T O N I C S / S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y These are supports that allow people and furniture to
redefine space.” (Multimedia Library of Sendai by Toyo
Toyo Ito decided through the structure emphasize the Ito. (2016). [video] Japan: Richard Copans.)
concept of the blank space, vacuum nothingness taking Not only double-skin of the building makes a building
an inspiration from Japanese concept of Ma- “the space sustainable. There are variety of strategies applied to
between two structural parts.” (Iimura, T. (2002). increase it’s efficiency. The tubes of the columns are
Note for MA: Space/Time in the Garden of Ryoan-Ji. used as a ventilation shafts pulling the natural air from
Millennium Film Journal, 38 (Spring 2002): Winds the top to the bottom using the same principle as wind
From the East) . The structural idea of the building catcher. In the ground floor facade is articulated in
is expressing and embodying this concept which also eight large panels which can completely withdraw into
enhance flexibility and adaptability of the design. itself providing natural ventilation especially during
In sustainable manner Sendai Mediatheque aims for summer. (Multimedia Library of Sendai by Toyo Ito.
leaving a space for future users and functions that (2016). [video] Japan: Richard Copans.)
may arise. The 13 tubular steel-tube truss construc- The building is mostly ventilated naturally due to
tion columns create transparent shafts in the building effective systems, very little mechanical ventilation
which accommodate the vertical circulation of air, is used. The natural light is introduced to the build-
water, electricity, light and people within the building. ing through the facade and also dispersed through
They assure rigidity and structural integrity. There the hollow tubes. It is diffused into the inside spaces
is egalitarian relation between the floors- it is like on each of the floor by means of prisms and lenses.
7 separate buildings piled one on top of the other. Positive utilization of the natural light not only crucial
15
THEME ANALYSIS
CASE STUDY
R E L E VA N C E T O O U R P R O J E C T
The Sendai Mediatheque inspires us because of how

its hybrid programming was integrated with tecton-
ics and sustainability and consequently resulted in
completely new quality in the city structure. Flexible
organization of space and its adaptive quality achieved
by adequate and optimized structure in tectonic
manner is also something we are aiming for in Varna
Library design. Maximizing utilization of the natural
light through diversification of openings, levels of
translucency and reflectivity of the materials is also
our focus. Sendai Mediatheque combines traditional
library with multimedia library that it creates integrat-
ed spaces where this two notions complement each
other instead of placing them in juxtaposition.
Fig.1.1 4 , 1 5
Section and plan shows the structure. Open plan created an oppor-
tunity for people to meet, work in groups and share knowledge.
Fig.1.1 6 , 1 7
The structure defines the caracter of interior spaces, becoming a

vital part of aesthetics of it.
16
THEME ANALYSIS
CASE STUDY
The Library of Birmingham designed by mecanoo and FA C A D E

completed in 2013 is one of Birmingham landmarks.
The building is 35,000 m2 hybrid library in the heart Filigree facade of interlocking metallic circles allows
of Birmingham which creates an active public space visual connection with outside. The frieze is com-
and offers a variety of attractions. Therefore, it is prised of two sizes of circles- diameter of 5,4 m and
called “People’s Palace” what emphasizes the social di- 1,8 m. Shadows of this geometric facade give a special
mension of the project. (Mecanoo.nl. (2016). Library mood inside the building during the day and during
of Birmingham. [online] Available at: http://www. the night the light from inside transforms the building
mecanoo.nl/Projects/project/57/Library-of-Bir- into a massive light sculpture. The closed parts of the
mingham/t/0 [Accessed 19 May 2016].) facade mark the location of archival collections. They
are covered with shimmering, golden panels con-
PROGRAMME trasting with geometrical pattern of the geometrical
screen. Two layers of high performance insulation of
The Library of Birmingham has a unique and rich mineral wool and a steel faced composite panel sit be-
programme. The building isn’t just a book storage hind an anodised, unitised rainscreen system. (Dezeen.
but it combines additional functions like community (2013). Library of Birmingham by Mecanoo. [online]
health center, music library, cafe and a lounge space, Available at: http://www.dezeen.com/2013/08/29/
roof terraces, auditorium shared with neighbouring of library-of-birmingham-by-mecanoo/ [Accessed 19
REP Theater, renovation of the Theater. The important May 2016].)
part of the project is also the urban plan for Cente-
nary Square what makes a library a part of urban city
structure and a lively part of the city attracting people
with variety of outside and inside activities. The most
public functions are located on the ground floor
to provide maximum public accessibility. (Dezeen.
(2013). Library of Birmingham by Mecanoo. [online]
Available at: http://www.dezeen.com/2013/08/29/
library-of-birmingham-by-mecanoo/ [Accessed 19
May 2016].)
A SEQUENCE OF ROTUNDAS F i g . 1. 18
Interlocking atrium shaped by a sequence of rotundas Atrium works as a conection and brings daylight furter into the
distributes light in the building, organizes the space building.
around it and plays an important role in vertical com-
munication. Main staircase in the atrium distributes
people on the first 4 floors which are more public. F i g . 1. 19
The stairs also create spatial experience because of
Perforated facade of the library helps to diffuse daylight as well
their irregular shape and shift in the atrium space.
as makes a completelly different impression of the building in the
Every rotunda has its own character what emphasizes night.
the division of the building according to function. The
sequence of rotundas helps visitors navigate through
F i g . 1. 20
the building and makes a visit in the library a journey.
The library houses many unexpected functions like a health center
and a connection with a theater.
17
THEME ANALYSIS
CONCLUSION
In the theme analysis chapter we investigated and neglected and in a bad shape. Existing public spaces character of library function in modern society but
researched topics that we believe are crucial for do not provide an opportunity to spend time actively also address relevant issues related to local climate
designing a library in Varna that not only meets local and do not engage young people. Therefore, there is conditions, history and community..
community needs but also provides new quality in the a need to design a modern public space that would
city structure. activate a life of a city.
In order to achieve that it is necessary to answer the The library function for Varna citizens is mainly asso-
question about the role of library today and how the ciated with book storage. The main users are students
concept of library transformed during the centuries. who visit library in order to acquire specific source.
Development of library from elitist function to a pub- Conditions in Varna libraries- lack of daylight, poor in-
lic one, from repository function to hybrid solution, door climate, limited accessibility and scattered loca-
from physical storage to virtual one gives us a relevant tions, do not encourage people to come and use it as a
consideration of library as a constantly evolving con- working space. It is important to centralize the library
cept requiring a highly flexible space. Understanding and introduce a concept of library as a “living room” of
book as a source of knowledge and consequently a the city where people enjoy spending free time.
library as an institution assuring it’s accessibility and
circulation gives a foundation to designing a library Research about positive impact of indoor plants for
building that is a respecter of heritage and cultural users of the space and quality of air helped us to find
values. In times of exponential technological devel- a sustainable strategy that can improve indoor climate
opment the library needs to go with the spirit of the and users experience.
times in order to explore it’s full potential but also
it should not be detached from the tradition built Case studies of Toyo Ito’s Sendai Mediatheque brings
through the centuries. Sustainability and Tectonics to Library building. Inves-
tigating Sendai Mediatheque helps to understand the
Varna Library aims to be environmentally and socially need for finding new ways of integrating the multi-
and sustainable. Complexity of sustainability and its media library in the building through the architectural
different aspects should be understood in order to design without compromising traditional library
meet present requirements but also thr ones which function. Sustainable strategies and Tectonic structure
may arise in the future. The importance of climate makes building efficient as well as attractive as a city
factors and minimizing their negative impact on the public space.
building as well as finding a way to utilize natural re-
sources is crucial for its energy efficiency and indoor Birmingham Library by Mecanoo is an important spot
climate. Library of Varna should provide meeting place in the city structure and revolutionized the notion of
for local community which enhance equality, pro- library. It became a multi-functional platform where
motes the knowledge and makes it accessible and at- the life of the city concentrates. The architectur-
tractive. Considerations about the future needs results al elements like atrium and facade of Birmingham
with the conclusion that the design must be adaptable Library became a highlight of the project. Atrium that
in order to be sustainable. From the requirement of organizes the space inside and connects all the building
flexibility derives demand to understand concept of functions and facades, that affect not only outside but
Tectonics. The structure should be expressing adapt- also atmosphere inside of the building inspired us and
ability and providing quality spaces related to all the emphasized the importance of architecture in creating
functions and answering a question about the role of new quality in urban city structure.
library today.
Reflecting on all above mentioned themes gives a
Public spaces in Bulgaria play an important role for foundation for designing a library building in Varna
social life of citizens. The majority of the spaces are that will not only answer a questions about the
18
19
SITE ANALYSIS
Site
Sense of place
Typologies
Green public spaces
Noise
Climate
Sun
Conclusion
SITE ANALYSIS
SITE
The site is located in the southern part of the city of

Varna in Bulgaria. A couple of kilometers away from
the site there is the Black sea. It is surrounded mostly
with residential buildings which were built during the
communist times. Varna Municipality building is locat-
ed next to the site. It is an important landmark and is
one of the highest buildings in Varna. There area a few
greenery patches on the site.
Varna
Sofia
Bulgaria
Black sea
Fig.2.1
Copyright © Free Vector Maps.com

22
SITE ANALYSIS
SENSE OF PLACE
At present the site is covered with prolific green-

ery and combines a small park and parking lot for
the needs of Municipality Hall. During the spring
and summer period vivid greenery obstructs
the view to poorly maintained Soviet residential
buildings on Marin Drinov and Bratya Miladinovi
streets, while looking from Osmi Primorski Polk
Boulevard (the main transport artery in Varna).
In autumn and winter the views of the place are
dominated by a parking in front of the buildings
and old and cracked pavements. The urban facade
adjacent to Osmi Primorski Polk Boulevard
consists of relatively new mixed use high-stand-
ing (when compared to the neighboring skyline)
buildings. Municipality Hall of Varna is the main
architectural landmark dominating perception in
the surrounding area. There is a well developed F i g . 2. 2 Fig.2.3
space around the building with lowered levels
affecting the atmosphere of the site. The view to the site from Bratya Miladinovi street, shows rough facades of the surrounding buildings. Osmi Primorski Polk Boulevard is one of the main streets ofVarna.The site on this side has a fair
amount of greenery.
The materiality of the place plays an important
role in creating the mood. The presence of as-
phalt and structural concrete of the Municipality
is contrasted with greenery as well as with paint-
ed parts of recessed square (turquoise and red).
Depending on weather conditions the perception
of space changes. During the periods without the
sun these materials make the site rough and un-
inviting. Urban facades are diversified with many
colors and architectural expression. What makes
it a bit chaotic and emphasize lack of coherency.
F i g . 2. 4 Fig.2.5
Threes on the site help to improve shabby mood of the surrounding facades. Post communist streets-cape of Marin Drinov street.
23
SITE ANALYSIS
TYPOLOGIES
The map shows the typologies, which are around

the site. The site is highly surrounded by education
buildings. There are 2 schools and a university near by.
Therefor a big part of library visitors will be young
school or university students. The are is mostly sur-
rounded with different types high and low residential
buildings, some of them are also mixed used, having
retail function on the ground floor.
There is a significant number of hotels in the

area, since the city has attractive beaches and
is the main holiday destination in Bulgaria. For
this reason the amount of residents in the city
is different during the periods of summer and
winter. Therefor the building should adapt to a
higher number of visitors in summer and well as
local residents. The site is surrounded by one of
the most important buildings of the city Munic-
ipality and a museum, which also have a distinct
architectural quality. Therefor when designing the
library it is important to consider those buildings
and how they affect the site, the streets cape and
the cityscape.
Residential/ mixed use residential

Offices
Hotels
Education
Museums and theaters/ culture
Shopping and entertainment
Law/ government
24
SITE ANALYSIS
G R E E N P U B L I C S PA C E S
Municipality Hall is the main dominant in the

surrounding of the competition area. The compe-
tition area is currently a public space functionally
associated with Municipality. There is an open air
parking mixed with a small park function. The site
is located in the crossing of two city’s main arter-
ies- axis to the sea coast via Slivnitsa Boulevard
and the Osmi Primorski Polk Boulevard which
connects the southern industrial zone with the
center. In walkable distance there are important
public buildings- Archaeological Museum, City
Art Gallery, Cathedral , Festival and Congress
Centre and Drama and Opera Theatre. Public
green spaces popular among locals and tourists are
in the vicinity- Sevastopol Park and Archaeological
Museum Park are in immediate proximity. Edu-
cational institutions like University of Economics,
Varna Trade School, high schools and elementary
schools makes the site a perfect spot to gather stu-
dents from different fields and through the design
enhance exchange of the knowledge.
25
SITE ANALYSIS
NOISE
The diagram shows the noise levels during busiest

hours of the day. There are three streets adjacent
to the site that effect the noise distribution in the
area. The traffic noise from the „Osmi Primor-
ski Polk“ Boulevard makes southeast border the
one with the highest noise level, The noise from
Bratya Miladinovi or Professor Marin Drinov is
not that intense since the traffic on that streets
is smaller. The sound exposure from boulevard
is an important factor to take into consideration
during the design process. Library aims to pro-
vide working spaces and good studying atmo-
sphere. There is a need to use architectural strate-
gies that will not allow noise to be an obstacle for
good working environment. Consideration about
the location of working spaces and appliance of
sound barriers and soundproof materials needs to
be conducted.
20 dB
40 dB
60 dB
26
SITE ANALYSIS
C L I M AT E
10°
N
20°
10
30°
3030 5050
20:52 40° 05:29 8
2525 50°
6
4040
60°
2020
4
70°
1515 3030
2
80°
1010
2020
55
1010
00
-5-5 00
°C°C mm
mm
May
May
May
May
Aug
Aug
Nov
Nov
Aug
Aug
Nov
Nov
Mar
Mar
Mar
Mar
Apr
Apr
Apr
Apr
Dec
Dec
Dec
Dec
Sep
Sep
Sep
Sep
Feb
Feb
Feb
Feb
Oct
Oct
Oct
Oct
Jan
Jan
Jan
Jan
07:37
Jun
Jun
Jun
Jun
Jul
Jul
Jul
Jul
16:36
12
Fig.2 .6 F i g . 2. 7 Fig.2.8
Average high and average low temperatures throughout the year. Average percipitation diagram. Yearly wind diagram.
T E M P E R AT U R E P R E C I P I TAT I O N WIND
The temperature diagram shows that the temperature difference is quite The rainfall diagram shows that mostly it rains during the months of Wind in Varna mostly comes from south and west. It is important to focus
high between winter and summer. Due to this conditions overheating can November and June. High amounts of rain can cause too high moisture on wind conditions in order to optimize natural ventilation. Inward side of
appear and in summer and heat loss in the winter. To avoid these situations levels in the building, also not enough moisture can make the air too the building can face ideally south west and leeward side north east.
it is important to have an optimal balance between windows and solid dry. Due to these strict conditions its important to focus on ventilation,
walls and choosing the right covering materials but also well designed choosing right materials etc. Moreover, it is important to collect rain Moreover, wind has to be considered when designing pleasant public
plan of the building. Also the temperature standards for reading rooms is water during all months and especially during the most moist ones. The spaces and spaces in between the buildings. The speed of wind especially
200 - 22o C in summer and 17 - 22o C (vVarna Library competition brief) rain water could be reused for different purposes, for example watering increases next to high buildings like Varna municipality building nearby.
there for there will be a need for cooling the rooms in the summer. the plants on the terraces of the building or for sanitary services like sinks (WETAHER ONLINE (2016) online, available at:http://www.weather-
(WEATHER ONLINE (2016) online, available at:http://www.weather- and bathrooms. online.co.uk/Bulgaria/Varna.htm)
online.co.uk/Bulgaria/Varna.htm) (WETAHER ONLINE (2016) online, available at:http://www.weather-
online.co.uk/Bulgaria/Varna.htm)
27
SITE ANALYSIS
SUN
Geographic location of Bulgaria assures that the coun-

try has good sun conditions, meaning many hours of
sunlight in the summer and also winter.
The sun shadow diagrams show how shadows moves-

through the site in the year. The north east part of
the site is shaded the least. Getting more sunlight this
becomes an attractive location for public spaces outside
the library or open public spaces, terraces in the library
building. It is also important to highly conciser the city
Municipality building which is in the western part of
the site as it is fairly high, there for it brings the longest
shadows to the site.
It is crucial to use this quality in designing the library

because daylight in library is important, especially in
the rooms where people spend a lot of time reading.
Moreover, it is important to consiser that the books
need protection from sun because sun light weakens
cellulose fibers- main component of the paper. Therefor
it is better to design main book storages on the western F i g . 2. 9 Fig.2.10
or northern parts of the site, because in winter the Shadows diagram during spring equanox
municipality building would shade most of the time and Shadows diagram during winter solstice
in the north there would be no direct sun ight. On the
other hand shading is not always bad. It helps to prevent N
the building from overheating in summer, when the sun
at the highest points in the year. Moreover, having some 10°
N
shaded spaces in the public spaces can help people to 20°
10
cover and hide from the sun during summer. 30°
20:52 40° 05:29 8
50°
6
60°
4
70°
2
80°
07:37
16:36
12
F i g . 2. 11 Fig.2.12
Annual sun path diagram Shadow diagram during summer solstice

28
SITE ANALYSIS
CONCLUSION
The site is located in the central area of Varna site is not shadowed. It becomes an attractive area
and is surrounded mostly with mixed- use res- for a public space as well as has to be considered
idential buildings. There is also one of the main when designing open terraces in the building. It
landmarks of Varna nearby - Varna Municipality is also crucial to consiser when designing interior
buildings which influences the site in many ways. spaces for reading and working.
It’s architectural expression dictates the mood of
the site and it also brings long shadows. It has to
be highly considered when designing the building.
The site is surrounded by rough facades of the
neighboring buildings, there for the mood of the
site is not inviting.
There is a wide network of open public spaces

near the site. The park of Varna museum is the
closest open pubic space. Also the green open
public connection arrives almost next to the site
from the south east, where the park next to the
sea is. This connection can be extended through
the site and become a pleasant and inviting walk-
ing path through the city to the library.
Location of the site in the city center requires

noise consideration and relevant means to min-
imize a negative impact on indoor environment
which is crucial when aiming for designing an
effective and attractive working which enhancing
concentration and creativity.
The climate in varna is semi continental where

the summers are quite hot and winters cold. It
has a high number of annual sunshine hours com-
pared with the other European countries - 2253.
It has to be considered when assuring the daylight
in the building, as well as removing overheating
and heat loss during the periods of summer and
winter. The levels of precipitation have to be
considered when designing the storages for the
books because it has extremely strict regulations.
Wind in the site is mostly from southwest and has
to be considered when designing ventilation etc.
During summer and spring the biggest part of the
29
USERS
Users
Functional diagram
USERS
USERS
The Library aims to be not only space where books games in the Arts and Media Center. They have a pos-
are stored but also a meeting and working space for all sibility of developing individual skills in hobby zones.
citizens of Varna. It is important for library building Young people spaces cover a wide variety of needs
to satisfy needs of people from different age groups. they may have.
Therefor program of Varna Library focuses on three
main groupS- children, young people and adults. ADULTS
There is a special focus on young people. Students of
Varna lack friendly working spaces. The library goal is Adults need individual closed off reading spaces as
to become a place where they can study and socialize well as open spaces where they could meet members
in a inspiring atmosphere. of the community of Varna. The adult reading space is
located on the top floors with a view towards the city
In order to design a socially sustainable library, the and higher level of individual privacy. Working envi-
program offers activities for all the age groups accord- ronment aids concentration and focus. The specialized
ing to their need but also aims for mixing users and reading areas and Arts and Media Center are easily
encouraging the process of learning from each other. accessible what creates opportunity for adults to use
new technology and access digital resources easily. The
CHILDREN big social reading room which opens towards the city
creates a favorable reading space with a lot of daylight.
The Library provides safe environment for learning People can relax there, work or have lunch and enjoy
and playing for the youngest users. They can play safely the view towards the Black Sea. Adults (especially el-
under supervision of their parents who also have space derly people) need balanced spaces which would offer
to work there while keeping an eye on their children. privacy for individual work as well as possibility to be
The space provides an opportunity for children to engaged in community life. Varna library offers both
play with peers and promotes learning through play. of these functions - has closed of spaces for individual
There are flexible spaces with easily movable furniture work as well as great social reading rooms which can
designed to read books out-loud, play different games, also be used for community meetings and events.
draw. There is also a safe outdoor space for playing.
YOUNG PEOPLE
The library would attract young people by creating

a social space that give an opportunity for them to
communicate with their peers. More private and open
study spaces provide possibility to study individually
or in groups. There are more computer stands so
they can easily access online resources and increase
learning efficiency. The space is flexible and could be
adjusted to individual needs by moving furniture and
creating own, customized working space. The design is
oriented towards a group work, therefore, closed and
quiet group rooms are scattered between bookshelves.
Specialized reading areas and hobby zones are easily
accessible on young people floors. Thus students can
effortlessly reach the sources and materials needed for
their education. They can also relax and spend time
listening to music, reading magazines or play video
32
USERS
FUNCTIONAL DIAGRAM
Loading zone Staff entrance

3150
Storage
Young people
Cafeteria
Children
Deutsche Lesesaal
Administration
Adults
Information technology
Acquisition section
40 80
Cafe entrance
20 20
20 20 160
Head of Incoming Library director Hobby
depratment materials office zone Storage Kitchenette Customer
service area
office recieving area 1900 1000
60 2040
140
40 80
Conference room Library items
Events
Office Storage for new collection 50 20
materials 40
Book collection and Dressing rooms, Exhibition storage
Book collection and restrooms
reading places
American corner
20 Financial 140 reading places and batrooms
Reference bibliographic section & expert consultancy
accounting
and HR office 40 230
Technical and service areas
Technology Library items

60
Auditorium entrance
repairs and collection 220 160 Stage storage
storage Installationroom 20 Book collection and Exhibition area
reading places 80 Study and indivual
Reading games and events
20
Library archive work 220 120
40
Hobby 20
Server room 20
Digital 150 zone
226 Area for parents Auditorium 20 seats Lobby
Financial archive
laboratory 20
80 20
Sanitation storage 20 Individual reading
Main entrance
Social reading room
areas Circulation/
Entrance area
Head of department Local history reference desk
office reading 20 20 240
20
General staff area
Specialized reading areas
Registration and
20 20 Circulation 80 iformation
Circulation reference desk/ Entrance area and
Expert consultancy 320
Head of department reference desk/ supervisor Social reading space 60 main lobby
office 40 supervisor (outdoor reading/
Local history playing area) Cloak room / 20
220 personal lockers
20 Local storage storage 24/ 7 book return
depository
20 Computer work 240
Parking entrance / exit

Office 150
120
Circulation/ 60
20
Cataloguing
reference desk/ 120 Restrooms

60 Computer work Restrooms
Technology and
supervisor Information hall 2850
Office Restrooms
repairs storage 40
240 General purpose
60
40 100 storage Souvenir shop
40
and processing
Restrooms
Arts / entertainment area
Catalogues items
Digital laboratory
proccesing area
660 Outdoor area with 28 40
reading places
20 Security room Copy center Parking
Cloakroom and lockers 630 Collection
40
Work area
Social reading
75 40 20 40 20
Breaks rooms space 240 280
Square meters Training center Work space
Individual Circulation/
20 Computer
work Restrooms reference desk Fig.3
work
Room name Rest rooms Local storage supervisor
33
VISION
Vision
VISION
VISION
Vision of our project is to design a public library with

a strong focus on the community and information
access equality of all members of society.
With our project we aim to bring people back to

libraries and to preserve traditional function and heri-
tage of libraries without forgetting technology.
We aim to redefine a notion of library for people of

Varna and make it an attractive alternative for spend-
ing free time.
The project focuses on environmental and social

aspects of sustainability. Environmental part will cover
indoor environment. The focal point of social sustain-
ability is to create an attractive and flexible environ-
ment for reading and working, as well as to design
spaces for people who normally do not use libraries.
The library design should be tectonic. The structure

will reflect our idea and spatial quality of the library.
The goal is to design a building and a new public space

which are integral part of the city with a distinctive
architectural expression and quality.
36
37
38
Concept
City living rooms
Function diagram
Masterplan
Plans
Sections
Details
Facades
Materials
Daylight
Indoor environment
Structure
39
CONCEPT
SITE BOUNDARY P U B L I C S PA C E OPEN
The boundary of the site provided by Varna library competition brief. The given volume boundary is raised to create a continuos public space. The public space is opened up towards the Varna city to have better light
conditions.
GARDEN S TA I R S CITY LIVING ROOMS
The garden on the ground floor has a connection with the entire library Sculptural stairs leads visitors through the building. Special social reading spaces provide visitors with possibility of having a
through the atrium. different library experience.
40
Black staircase in the atrium reflects through perforated screen of the front facade and make space of plaza. Orange stairs in young people zone, yellow elements of children’s overhanging
it more dynamic during the day but especially at night. Perforated facade provides users a playing room give the volume more customized identity. Greenery of the public space creates
sufficient level of privacy but still allows to keep visual connection with building surround- more private atmosphere and gives an opportunity to read a book in the shadow of a tree or
ings. Overhanging social reading rooms create a spatial experience for people using a public have a picnic on the loan.
41
CITY LIVING ROOMS
CHILDREN LIVING ROOM YOUNG PEOPLE LIVING ROOM ADULT LIVING ROOM
On the children floor there is a special outdoor space designed for Young people spaces have a special stair which lets students to en- The biggest library living room is in the adult section. It is located in
playing and reading. Children can enjoy their time in fresh air while gage in group work or just read a book in more social environment, a strategic area of the building to provide fascinating views of Varna
being safe. where they can also learn from each other. On top of this social and also shade the public space from the sun during hot spring and
reading space there is an open terrace for outdoor reading. The living summer months. It is a perfect space not only for reading but also
room is placed strategically to have an open top terrace, which could for community events and helps to bring people of Varna together.
be shaded in summer by the adult living room volume.
42
SITE ANALYSIS
FUNCTIONS
Varna library has an open ground floor which offers a

number of different functions like events and exhibi-
tions zone, a cafe, a bookshop, workshops and hobby
zone, working and reading spaces and it is connected
with the plaza. Especially in summer these spaces work
together and that way the library become a part of a
dynamic fabric of the city. Higher there are children
reading rooms with open playing and reading space. On
the higher floors young people and students reading
rooms are located. In between young people and adult
reading sections there is arts and media floor. It can be
easily accessed from young people and adults floors as
they are the most likely users of it. In the highest floors
adult reading rooms are located. Under the ground
floor there is underground parking for the visitors of
the library. In the back of the building storage of books
and other materials is designed. It offers even distribu-
tion of book to the whole building. The administration
is also located in the back part of the building in order
to be close to the storage as well as reading rooms and
the ground floor. It is a strategic location in order to
have the best management of the library.
Reading spaces for adults

Reading spaces for young people
Reading spaces for children
Cafeteria
Media and art
Storage
Administration
Events
Entrance space
Underground parking
43
MASTERPLAN
The opening in the building volume creates a central

plaza which invites people into the building. Public
space attracts people to the site and becomes a vital
part of a city urban structure. Visitors can have a pic-
nic with family on one of the greenery patches, read a
book from one of the outdoor bookshelfs, use public
platform to meet with their friends. The are areas de-
signed for children- small playground distanced from
the main street and public fountains. Cafe located in
the ground floor extends to the outside and merges
with a public space. The variety of functions makes
the plaza attractive for diverse people and the ones 1 PICNIC PLACE 2 CAFETERIA 3 LOUNGE
who are not interested in books or reading might
feel the urge to come inside the library. It is closely
connected and works together with the ground floor
and also becomes an open part of the city.
4 F O U N TA I N S 5 P L AY G R O U N D 6 CALM READING
7 BOOKSHELVES 8 PODIUM 9 B I K E PA R K I N G
44
9
1 8
5
45
PLANS
A B
1 E N T R A N C E S PA C E
Entrance space encloses many different

functions like a bookshop, self check in,
check out terminals, registration, infor-
mation, working and relaxing spaces as
well as a copy shop.
D D
2 GARDEN
The indoor garden on the ground floor 3

is the heart of the entire building. It cre-
ates the mood of the library. Greenery
helps people to concentrate and work
more efficiently. The plans have also
calming and even inspiring effect on
users.
3 EVENTS
Event zone consists of auditorium and C C

exhibition spaces with service rooms.
Auditorium is designed to have lectures, 2
performances and other cultural events.
It can work together with the exhibition
space, because the spaces are only sepa-
rated by a folding, flexible wall.
4 CAFETERIA
Cafeteria can work as a space to have

1
coffee or read a book as well as for ac-
tivities not related to reading. It can also
be used together with the events area
4
for conferences or banquets.
A B
Ground floor plan

46
A B
1 S TA I R
Free range stair leads into the reading

rooms of the library from the ground
floor. The stair is also a special sculp-
tural connection of the building, which
works together with the atrium and
garden as a “core”of the library. D D
2 TECHNICAL ROOMS
The technical corner contains of instal- 2 3

lation room, server room and sanitation
storage.
3 STORAGE
On this floor the storage is designed for

incoming materials as well as a regular
storage. It is connected to the elevators 1
through which the books are brought to
the storages. C C
A B
1st floor plan

47
1 floor plan
A B
1 P L AY R E A D S PA C E
Outdoor playing and reading space pro-

vides children with possibility to be safe
while still being outdoors and playing in
fresh air. It can also work during winter
when the inside courtyard is closed
D D
off and then it becomes a more calm
reading space.
2 A D M I N I S T R AT I O N 2
The library administration is also

connected with the storage and local
smaller storages for a closer relation-
ship. It consists of various departments
like financing, bibliography, cataloging
and processing as well as relaxation
spaces for employees.
3 WORKSHOP 3
C C
Closed workshop space can house dif-
ferent playing or learning activities for
groups of children without being dis-
turbed. It also contains a smaller special
furniture for children and a small hobby
zone next to it. 1
A B
2nd floor plan

48
2 floor plan
A B
1 COMPUTER WORK
The library part for young people has a

greater amount of spaces for work with
computers for students. They can use
these spaces as an alternative of working
only in their university or home. It en-
D D
ables them to work together and share
knowledge and information.
3
2 GROUP WORK
In closed group work spaces students

can engage in this activity without being
disturbed by the surroundings.
4 2
3 I N F O R M AT I O N
TECHNOLOGY
Information technology section consists

of technology repairs part, offices and a
C C
digital laboratory.
4 PRINTERS 1
Printers and scanners are important

to have in the library part designed for
students because they are the ones using
it the most for their school work. They
have a convenience of having it on next
to their working spaces rather than only
the on ground floor
A B
3rd floor plan

49
3 floor plan
A B
1 S O C I A L R E A D I N G
S PA C E
There is a special stair designed in one

of the social reading spaces. Students
can gather here, spend time together,
make new fiends, and well as read and
D D
study. It also offers a nice view of the
city.
2
2 STORAGE
Books are stored in special storage units

which can be slided on the rails. This
system helps to save space in the storage
areas and store more books. They also
are better protected from effects of en-
vironment in this type of storage rather
than in regular shelves.
3 RELAXED READING
C C
Students need not only spaces for
intensive and focused work but also
spaces for just flipping through cata-
logue or magazines. Here they can relax
1
from school or group work on special
furniture.
A B
4th floor plan

50
4 floor plan
A B
1 AMERICAN CORNER
The area houses a collection of Ameri-

can literature, magazines and catalogs. It
has its own reading spaces for concen-
trated and calm reading.
D D
2 DEUTSCHE LESESAAL
The corner of German books provides

people with opportunity to read in
German and find newest, most import-
ant German books and magazines.
3 TERRACE
Due to Bulgarian weather conditions

people can engage in outdoor reading in
most months of the year. The outdoor
reading space has places not only for
reading but also for just having lunch or
spending time with friends or family. 2
It also has a small space for greenery in C C
the middle.
4 MEDIA AND ARTS
This part of the building is devoted

specifically for media and arts. Users
1
can find newest magazines, newspapers 3
as well as latest films, DVD and music
releases. There is a special section for 4
relaxed listening to the music.
A B
5th floor plan

51
5 floor plan
A B
1 S O C I A L R E A D I N G
S PA C E
The biggest of all social reading spaces

in the library lets people to enjoy a
book and a cup of coffee in a more
relaxed environment than just a regular
D D
library space.
2 COMPUTER WORK
Special places for working with a com-

puter are placed in a darker space of
the building in order not to have direct
glare into computer screens. The atrium
and the surrounding windows provides
with pleasant diffused light conditions. 2 3
3 SELF CHECK IN
Self check in, check out terminals C C

enables users to borrow and give back
books without any help from staff. For
visitors convenience they are located on
every floor.
A B
6th floor plan

52
6 floor plan
A B
1 S TA I R S
In the social reading area stairs lead to

the highest level. They also work as a
boundary that separated a space for re-
laxing and more remote working space
in the reading room.
D D
2 INDIVIDUAL WORK
For work required concentration visi-

tors can use individual working places.
They are located in the remote corners
of the library. The semi closed perfo-
rated metal facade diffuses light and
therefor creates visually calm environ- 3
ment for best concentration.
3 I N F O R M AT I O N
Each floor of the library has it’s own C C

librarian (supervisor), who can provide
users with information about materials,
how and where to find it etc. The space
has a direct connection with storage.
A B
7th floor plan

53
7 floor plan
A B
1 V I E W P L AT F O R M
The highest point of the library building

where users can enjoy beautiful views
of the city of Varna and the Black sea
which is nearby the site. There are
seatings for reading, relaxation and light
D D
work.
C C
A B
8th floor plan

54
7 floor plan
A B
1 PA R K I N G
Underground parking contains 65

parking spots for the visitors. It also has
a connection with the ground floor of 2
the library.
D D
2 RAMP
Ramp enables access to the under-

ground parking facility.
1
C C
A B
Underground parking plan

55
SECTIONS
1 AT R I U M
Atrium brings sunlight further into

the building and creates library spaces
filled with daylight. It also helps to
provide plants on the ground floor with
daylight. Detail A
1
2 SHADING
2
Automatic shading on the facade of
social reading spaces helps to prevent
overheating., Without obstructing the
views to the town and the Black sea. It
is controlled by temperature.
Section A-A
56
1 AUDITORIUM
STORAGE
The space under the auditorium is used

for extra storage. The equipment and
materials of exhibition and auditorium
stored there. The narrow space is espe-
cially convenient to store posters.
2 WINDOWS 3
2
Windows have openings that enables

natural cross and single sided (depend-
ing on a space) ventilation through
them. The openings are on the bottom
and top parts of the windows, that way
clean and minimal look of windows is
created.
3 P E R F O R AT I O N
Perforation in the storage prevents

books and other valuable materials from
getting direct daylight, which is harmful
for them.
Section B-B
57
1 P E R F O R AT I O N
Perforation in the reading rooms diffus-

es daylight and creates pleasant working
and reading environment. Some of the
perforated panels are open-able there
for people can have a visual connection
with a public space on the ground floor
when they wish.
Detail B
Section C-C
58
1 RAMP
The ramp for parking is placed directly

under auditorium, due to angles of both
of them the need to make a cut in the
building for creating a ramp disappears.
2 AUDITORIUM
Double height ceiling in the auditorium

creates a possibility to create a slope and
therefor visitors can watch performanc-
es, speakers etc. Without obstructing
each others vision.
3 F O L D A B L E WA L L
The foldable wall separates the audi-

torium from the exhibition spaces. It
is flexible therefor both rooms can be
connected and used for the same event,
2 3
Section C-C
59
D E TA I L
CONNECTION BETWEEN THE

FA C A D E A N D T H E R O O F Aluminium wall covering system fixed
on clips
Eaves with insolation
In the chosen detail there is connection between the fa- HEA 170
cade, the roof and lamellas system. Aluminum lamellas
can be opened from 450 degrees (partly closed) to 1200
degrees (to let in the light). This active facade including
lamellas and triple glazing controls the amount of solar
gains and sunlight.
EPDM roofing
Tapered insulation 75mm
Vapour controul layer
Mulitiplex 20mm
Wooden beam attached to
HEA 170 by welded strip 130mm
Acoustic ceiling 50mm
Ceiling panel 15mm
Aluminium slats
Curtain wall , triple glazing
Steel fin 75mm
Detail A 1:5
60
D E TA I L
BOLTED BEAM TO COLUMN

CONNECTION
Flange angle bolted cleat
The detail presents bolted angle bolted angle beam to
column connection with flange angle cleats. Stiffen-
er plates are used to strengthen the column flanges Flange angle bolted cleat
against the forces transmitted by beam.
Steel beam
Steel beam
Web angle bolted cleat
Web angle bolted cleat
Column web welded stiffner
Steel column
Column web welded stiffner
Steel column
Detail B 1:10
61
FA C A D E S
South east facade
62
North east facade
63
North west facade
64
South west facade
65
M AT E R I A L S
Material diversity of neighbouring buildings and ex-

pressive form of Varna library building contrasts with
the materiality of the design. The building aims to cre-
ate a distinctive architectural identity but also through
its transparency and lightness becomes an integrated
part of a city structure.
F i g . 4. 1 F i g.4.2 Fig.4.3
P E R F O R AT E D A L U M I N I U M CONCRETE B L A C K PA I N T E D S T E E L
SHEETS
Concrete in the public space contrasts with a greenery Sculptural black staircase in the atrium creates an
Perforated metal screen covers the building with a on the plaza and merges with a concrete floor on the interesting spatial experience and leads people
translucent mesh that not only filters the light and ground floor. It makes the space more unified and through the building. It is visible from outside due to
noise coming into the building but also gives it a the ground floor appears to be a part of the plaza. the contrast between light interior and black material
feeling of fluidity. The perforated aluminium sheets Light concrete floors in the building reflect light and what makes it stand out.
reflect the sun during the day and makes the building also create a calm and neutral background for a color
illuminate during the night. accents in the social living rooms as well as the garden
on the ground floor.
F i g . 4. 4 F i g.4.5 Fig.4.6
GLASS WHITE STUCCO VYNIL
The border between outside and inside blurs because Walls and ceilings are covered with a white material There is a vinyl flooring covering stair in a social
of the glass facade of the ground floor that exposes to reflect the light and introduce it to the deeper parts reading room in young people area. Orange color
the garden and public functions. Glass facade keeps of the buildings. White color gives the space a light contrasts with concrete texture of the flooring and
high level of daylight in the building and also is an atmosphere which contributes to better user experi- white walls. The material is highly durable and has a
important passive strategy during the winter to heat ence and visual comfort while reading or studying. good scratch resistance and acoustic performance. It is
the building through solar gains. also suitable for sitting.
66
Openable glass facade makes an outdoor and indoor space unified and filled with light. for the greenery and distributes it across all floors. Black staircase leads through the building
Possibility of extending public plaza to the ground floor of the building activates a space and makes climbing up the stairs an experience and a journey. Social reading rooms become
inside and makes the library appear accessible and inviting. Green garden inside the building an integral part of the atrium space.
creates pleasant atmosphere enhancing creativity and relaxation. Atrium provides daylight
67
D AY L I G H T
The quality and quantity of natural light in the library

building is crucial for user experience and perfor-
mance. In order to utilize natural light and create
convenient working conditions for reading, studying
but also using computer equipment we applied passive
strategies to increase visual comfort of users.
The atrium with a skylight distributes natural light
across the floors and provides higher daylight levels in
spaces adjoining atrium. Therefore working stands and
tables are located around the atrium. The skylight is
also a source of natural light for a garden on the ground
floor and main staircase. The shifting in the floors due
to not aligned flights of staircase allows more natural
light to deeper parts of the building. White ceilings
reflect the light and distributes it through the floors.
Perforated metal panels are used to control the light
entering the building. Perforation reduces the glare
of sunlight and increase the visual comfort of library
users. It offers atmosphere of privacy without compro- F i g . 4. 7 Fig.4.8
mising visual connection with outside what enhances
concentration and provides comfortable working Daylight factors on the 3rd floor, children reading spaces. Daylight factors on the 5th floor, young people reading spaces.
atmosphere. The perforation gradually changes from
25% of light transmittance in front of the building
to 65% what creates more balanced light conditions
across the floor and controls sun glare in the reading
areas adjoined to south -west facade. The area in the
back of the building is designed for a computer stands
and electronic equipment where the daylight factor is
lower. Perforated metal screen have openable panels
so natural light could be adjusted to user’s needs and
sunlight conditions.
The ground floor is two levels high what provides

convenient natural light level for plants in the garden
but also gives an impression of merging of outside and
inside space what makes it more open and accessible- a
part of a public plaza.
Daylight in the storage area is limited due to its nega-
tive impact on the books.
Fig.4.9
Daylight factors on the 7th floor,adult reading spaces.
68
INDOOR ENVIRONMENT
Thermal and atmospheric comfort of the biggest O V E R H E AT I N G Overheating

hours
social reading room in the adult section is optimized
and verified through simulations in Bsim. This part of The biggest social reading room has a huge facade made of glass panels 60
this building is chosen because it is exposed to solar there for its extremely sensitive to overheating. By implementing shading
radiation the most due to it’s location in the building into our design and having mechanical and natural ventilation and cooling 40
as well as design solutions, like glass facade. we managed to reduce hours of overheating per year to 58 above 26 oC
and 7 above 27 oC (fig. 4.12). 20
0
N AT U R A L V E N T I L AT I O N Hours > 26°C Hours > 27°C
Atrium in the library provides the possibility of having Fig.4.12

natural stack ventilation (fig.4.11). The spaces have
C O 2 C O N C E N T R AT I O N CO 2
openings on the south and northern sides, there for ppm
we also have cross natural ventilation (fig.4.10). In the 1200
storages single sided natural ventilation (fig.4.11) is CO2 concentration remains constant during the months with mechan- 1000
Max.
implemented. During the night cold air can be let in ical ventilation and slightly decreases when natural ventilation starts 800
through the ground floor and come out through the (fig.4.13). It happened due to higher air change rate in those months as 600
atrium that way the whole building would be cooled well. The maximum CO2 level is 558 ppm which is still smaller that the 400
Min.
down. maximum allowed.
200
0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Fig.4.13
M E A N T E M P E R AT U R E Mean temperature
°C
30
The lowest temperatures of 18 oC occur in winter months as it is expect-
Max.
ed. It is still above the minimum of 17 oC which is required in the com-
25
petition brief in winter months. In spring and summer the temperatures
continue to rise due to rising outdoor temperature and it reaches maxi-
20
mum of 22, 7 oC in July and does not increase due to cooling and natural
Min.
ventilation and flexible shading implementation. The maximum tempera-
15
tures of 27 oC and 28oC appear only few hours in a year (fig.4.14). Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Fig.4 .1 0 Fig.4.14
AIR CHANGE Air change

/h
6
The mean air change rate keeps constant during heating season months
due to control of mechanical ventilation. In May the air change rate 5
increases because then natural ventilation starts. The increase is also 4
affected by the fact that the building (as well as social reading room) has 3
many openings and the atrium for natural ventilation. Natural ventilation 2
is controlled by temperature and CO2 levels. Maximum air change occurs 1
during July when the outdoor temperature is the highest. In October 0 Min.
the air change rate decreases again because of the switch from natural to Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Fig.4 .1 1
mechanical ventilation (fig.4.15). Fig.4.15
69
STRUCTURE
The structure of the library shows the expressive FZ choosing

cantilever, = 16,93 beam with a bigger section and
potential of structure and construction in the tectonic finding the way to decrease the floor spans in order to
manner. The concept of merging tradition and moder- reduce their weight. FZ = 1191,89
nity, work and leisure in one building is represented FZ = 16,93
by structure of Varna Library. Column and beam
system in the main building and cantilevered beam
structure of overhanging social reading room show the FZ = 1191,89
FZ = 16,93
difference between these two spaces. Trusses support-
ing roofs of overhanging boxes create fluid boundary
between these spaces and emphasize a playful charac- FZ = 1191,89
ter of social reading rooms.
F i g . 4. 16
Structure of the main building is steel frame struc-
ture. The overhanging structure is a simply supported Reaction diagram
cantilevered beam. The magnitude of the bending mo- 509.09
ments and shear forces in a beam as well as its support

reactions vary depending on the loading distribution
along its length. The dead load will be constant, but -16.93 0.00
509.09
live loads will be different in location during the use
of the building. There is an uplift force while live load
is applied only on cantilever but also in case of load -16.93 509.09 0.00
applied on the whole length of beam. -687.81
The bending moment and shear forces diagram have

-16.93 0.00
been calculated for load cases on a simply supported
cantilevered beam- HEA 1000. -687.81
The beam needs to support 8 m of width floors. Self
weight of the structure was used as a dead load and F i g . 4. 17
value of 3 kN/m2 (C1) (EC1 Eurocode) as a live load. Shear force diagram -687.81
In load case 4 the value of 2,5 kN/m2 (reading areas
with no storage) was imposed on the cantilever and
value of 4 kN/m2(reading rooms with storage) was
imposed on backspan. The backspan measures 13 m
and the cantilever 15m. Factors of safety are 1,35 for -3780.65
dead loads and 1,5 for live loads.
Maximum reaction appears in the front supports- near 800.15 -0.00

-3780.65
cantilever. Front support is always in compression.
There is an uplift force in case of load applied on the
whole length of beam. This situation requires anchor-
ing the foundation but another less expensive solution 800.15 -3780.65 -0.00
is to increase the weight of the back supports and the
F i g . 4. 18 Fig.4.19
difference between loads imposed on cantilever and
backspan. Finding a strategy to increase the load trans- Bending
800.15 moment diagram -0.00 Structural system diagram
fer to the main supports could eliminate uplift forces.
The strategy to increase stability of the structure
could be changing the ratio between backspan and
70
Overhanging social room on the highest floor creates an observation deck with a view
towards the Black Sea. People can meet and socialize or study while enjoying the sun. Atrium
skylight creates good daylight conditions for studying and allows visual connection with the
other floors. Bookshelves, positioned perpendicularly to the facade, let the sun in, organize
the space and create a good working mood alluding to atmosphere of traditional libraries.
71
PROCESS
Masterplan
Concept
Volume study
Indoor environment
Plan layouts
Structure
Facades
Conclusion
Reflection
Literature list
Image list
PROCESS
MASTERPLAN
Investigation of city urban structure and our visit to

Varna made us realize that there is a well-developed
network of green public spaces and a number of
cultural and educational building in proximity of the
site. Therefore, our considerations in relation to master
planning arises from a concept of continuation of
existing city structure and integrating it with an urban
tissue. We investigated different ways of this incorpora-
tion - public space as a “climbing up” vertical extension
of the city or opening the ground floor to make a
space more public and integrated with a surrounding.
Together with volumetric and massing studies the idea
of open central plaza crystallized. Public outdoor space
design has as a goal to invite people to library, and in
combination with an open ground floor and its public
function becomes a natural prolongation of the city. We
were investigating different settings and elements that
would shape the space to meet this goal and we decided F i g . 5. 2 Fig.5.3
that curved and relatively low elements of plaza do
not obstruct the view of the library building and due City public space continuing in vertical direction. Raising the building in order to merge it with urban structure.
to lack of angles they create a fluid and inviting space.
Scattered around the site with a different size and tex-
ture they can easily accommodate various functions and
create a pleasant spatial experience.
Fig.5 .1 Fig.5.4
Master plan diagrams presenting different means to organize the Connecting the site and library with an important educational and cultural building and with
public plaza. network of public green spaces.
74
PROCESS
CONCEPT
We explored different ideas to bring people in to the

site. The ideas as curved roof volume, solid volume
standing on an open and less massive base or gradual
increasing of density along with a level appeared.
Concept of atrium as an element providing daylight,
organizing the space and giving an interior a strong
spatial expression was also investigated. The concept
behind a library is to merge tradition and modernity
in one building- respect the book heritage but also
create a “living room” space for Varna community.
We wanted to find a way to make an architecture of
the building reflect this idea. The concept developed
along with volumetric studies and average sunlight F i g . 5. 5 Fig.5.6 Fig.5.7
hours calculations. Cutting out the central part of the
raised volume and creating a plaza and one side open Concept of raising the main volume is explored. Atrium brings the light inside the building, Closed and calmer spaces are higher in the building whereas open
atrium allowed us to implement our earlier ideas and and more active ones lower.
considerations. Addition of different size volumes
goes along with a concept and aims for creating a di-
versified spaces inside the library as well as distinctive
architectural expression.
Fig.5.8 Fig.5.9
Social reading rooms provide the possibility of community gatherings in all age groups. Different atrium qualities are investigated in the sketch.
75
PROCESS
VOLUME STUDY
The idea of having a light and spacious ground floor Fig.5.11

with a greenery required calculation on average sun-
light hours . We investigated different options- raised First models presenting considerations about volumes and structure
cuboid volume and with a curved cut, one atrium
and three smaller, boxy volumes with a frame, floors
supported by a grid of columns with three different
size atria and opening the volume by cutting out the
central part and creating open atrium. Opening the
volume allowed the sunlight to penetrate the building.
It decreased however the area of the usable floor. We
decided to have semi closed atrium. We started from
placing volumes and investigating how they affect con-
ditions on the site and perception of the space inside 5. 10
the building. We found a way to emphasize a hierar- Different volume proposals and diagrams presenting average sun
chy and composition along with maximizing benefits hours results from 21st June to 21st July.The public plaza sunlight
for indoor climate, daylight conditions and spatial conditions are investigated.The goal is to reach a balance between
perception of interior space as well as its influence on pleasant lit spaces and shading. The black line shows the investi-
shadow conditions on the site. We examined how the gation grid.
volumes affect the atrium space by moving them inside
what makes them more integrated with the building
and creates visual connection between different spaces
what makes it more diversified and engaging.
76
PROCESS
VOLUME STUDY
Fig.5.14
Different approaches to movement in the building and storage

placing are investigated in the sketches.
Fig.5.1 2 F i g . 5. 13 Fig.5.15
Cons and pros of different locations of the social reading rooms are When mirroring the social reading spaces we found out that the The spatial connection of different floors is expressed in the sketch.
explored. biggest one receives more overheating than before.
77
PROCESS
INDOOR ENVIRONMENT
In order to optimize indoor environment in the library

and make architectural solutions sustainable we opti-
mized our building in indoor environment calculation
program Bsim. We chose to optimize adult reading
space because it was most prone to overheating and
also is the biggest space in the library. (Apendix 1) First
we thought to have curtain wall facade in the adult
reading space as well as on the other facades. We also
adapted some of the windows for natural ventilation.
Fig.5.16 Shows that we got huge numbers of overheat-
ing hours as well as quite high CO2 levels in winter and
spring as well as too high mean temperatures in sum- F i g . 5. 1 6
mer. To decrease the amount of overheating and tem- The results from Bsim show Air change rate, CO2 levels top mean temperatures during all months of the year. It also shows that the biggest reading
peratures we decided to introduce shading panels on room (marked green in the illustration) has 1343 hours above 26 oC and 633 hours above 27 oC during a year.The numbers are too high, since
the reading spaces, but still kept the main space with allowable norm is 100 hours above 26 oC per year.
only curtain facade. The temperatures became closer
to the allowable norm, which is 17-22 oC in winter
and 20 - 22 oC degrees in summer (Varna Library com-
petition brief). Also we experimented with increasing
the openings and the air change rates became too high
in summer because of natural ventilation being active.
Fig.5.18. Shows a different location of the adult reading
space. We investigated if changing the location of it
changes the results and we found out that overheating
and mean temperatures become higher, because then
the “box” is more exposed to solar radiation as it is F i g . 5. 1 7
facing south. Air change rates also got bigger because
the space was exposed to south east, which is the main We introduce shading screens on the reading rooms surrounding the “big box”.
direction of wind through a year. For these reasons as
well as better views from that location we decided to
move back the biggest social reading room to the first
place. To reduce overheating and mean temperatures
more we introduced venetian shading on the “box” (Fig.
5.19). It made an extreme difference and temperatures
above 26 oC decreased to only 63 hours. Even though
the numbers become allowable, the energy amount to
heat and cool the building was high due to all over glass
panel facade. Therefore we designed the windows on
the “outer shell” of the library. It also slightly decreased
the temperatures and hours above 26 oC. For the last
step we decided to make venetian shading on the F i g . 5. 1 8
biggest space flexible and it increased the results even
To investigate possibilities of our concept we move the social reading room to the opposite corner of the building, which exposes it to solar radiation
more to only 7 hours above 27 oC in a year. We have re- a lot more that the first location.
alized that even though the biggest adult reading space
uses the biggest amount of energy to be heated, venti-
lated and cooled, the other spaces bring the amounts of
energy down and keeps a balance of the entire building.
78
PROCESS
F i g . 5. 19
Venetian shading is introduced on the main box. It is fixed and runs every 0,4 meters, in order to keep beautiful view to the city.The results increase
dramatically.
F i g . 5. 20
To make the library more sustainable we design windows on the facade. It protects the building with more insulation and saves energy for heating
cooling and ventilating through the year.
F i g . 5. 21
The last step was to make the venetian shading flexible. It closes to 450 angle when solar radiation reaches 150W/m2.The results do not change as
much because the angle of shading is not as high.We did not make it to 90o, which would close them completely because the views from the social
reading room would be obstructed.
79
PROCESS
P L A N L AY O U T S
We started our floor-plan considerations from stor-

age positioning investigation. We analyzed different
positions according to sunlight conditions, effect on
shaping other spaces, accessibility from the street but
also ability to distribute books across the building. We
decided that position in north-east corner of the site is
the most convenient when it comes to all mentioned
above issues. Therefore we were able to think about the
library space as a separated from the storage what gave
us an opportunity to work with an open floor plan and
this way enhance light conditions in the building. We
wanted to organize the space but still keep a possibility
of adjusting it to different events, social situations and
individual needs. We provide spaces for more closed
individual work as well as group work and communi-
ty meetings. We have investigated plan solutions in a
smaller reading space scale, the balance among closed
and open spaces, reading areas, hobby zones. We aimed
for highlighting the difference between controlled,
more concentrated reading area of the main building
and more diversified setting in social reading rooms
where space would be also interesting due to special
features in them.
F i g . 5. 22
Open space with scattered private study rooms.
Fig.5.2 4 Fig.5.23
Open floor plan with different function “islands” allowing human flow and easy access of all the spaces. Diagrams showing various storage position.
80
PROCESS
STRUCTURE
We chose steel structure with a simply supported

cantilevered beam and decided to investigate forces
in the beam to understand the principle and optimize
structural strategy. Introducing trusses emphasize a
character of social reading rooms. They support roof
of the biggest “box” and create a spatial feature. We
started calculations on simply supported cantilevered
beam in Karamba and investigated how backspan to
cantilever span ratio affects forces in the beam. We
decided to change the ratio by moving columns (front
supports) closer to the facade so the beam deformation
is smaller. In order to investigate the impact of loading
patterns on bending moment and shear forces we used F i g . 5. 25 Fig.5.26 Fig.5.27
Robot structural analysis to calculate them what helped
us to detect places where the structural problems may Fz reaction diagram- load case 1 (uniform load along whole Shear force diagram for load case 1 Shear force diagram for load case 1
length)
appear and think of strategies to prevent them.
Fig.5 .3 4 F i g . 5. 28 Fig.5.29 Fig.5.30
Cantilever with live load bigger in backspan than cantilever- back- Fz reaction diagram- load case 2 (uniform load on backspan) Shear force diagram for load case 2 Bending moment diagram for load case 2
span/cantilever ratio- 9/19
Fig.5 .3 5 F i g . 5. 31 Fig.5.32 Fig.5.33
Cantilever with live load bigger in backspan than cantilever- back- Fz reaction diagram- load case 3 (uniform load on cantilever) Shear force diagram for load case 3 Bending moment diagram for load case 3
span/cantilever ratio- 13/15
81
PROCESS
FA C A D E S
In order to utilize daylight and create favorable reading

and working conditions we decided to work with a
glass facade. Daylight factor calculation showed that
daylight levels in the building would be extremely
high what was not a desirable state because of negative
impact on visual comfort of users and direct sunlight
glare. We introduced perforated screen as a strategy
to control light inside and solar gains. We investigated
screens with different light transmittance and gradually
changing perforation to reach a desirable light levels
according to the function. When we reached balanced
daylight levels in the building we decided to introduce
open-able panels to make it more adjustable to individ-
ual needs and in the same time interrupt a regularity of
facade. We also calculated daylight level for a different
positioning of volumes what helped us to make deci-
sion about its final location. Due to Bsim calculations
we discovered a major overheating problem in the
biggest social reading room we started to think about Fig.5.36
shading strategy and its influence on architectural ex-
pression on the facade. We researched venetian shading Horizontal venetian blinds pattern juxtaposed with perforated mesh of the facade
of social reading rooms creating different patterns and
how it works with a perforated metal screen.
Fig.5.3 7 Fig.5.38
Horizontal white shading panels with a gray metallic perforated facade Lamellas of social reading rooms creating irregular patterns. Metal perforations gets less dense in the strategic places of the
building.
82
PROCESS
2,8 3,6
4,5 2,5
11,5 13 3,5 3,6 5,3 5,5 7 8
Fig.5 .3 9 F i g . 5. 40 Fig.5.41 Fig.5.42
Glass facade- 6th floor Perforated metal screen- 25% light transmittance Perforated metal screen- 45% light transmittance Perforated metal screen- 65% light transmittance
3,6 3,4
4,6 4,4 3,7 11,2
Fig.5 .4 5 Fig.5.44 Fig.5.43
Vertical lamellas system with a grid of perforated metal panels and glass facade divisions on the ground floor. Gradual perforation from 25%- 65% from the front- 5th floor Gradual perforation from 25%- 65% from the front- 1st floor
83
CONCLUSION
This project sets out to create a first modern public li- daylight without a glare in the reading spaces and low-
brary building in Varna that focuses on social aspect of er levels of natural light on the north-west side of the
community and information access equality. Creating building where storage and computer working stands
a meeting space in the center of the city that attracts are located.
all members of society and tourists required a special Our primary focus fell upon social and environmen-
attention to diverse people’s needs as well as architec- tal sustainability. We focused on indoor climate and
tural expression that would make it a peculiar land- light conditions in the building what is essential for
mark inviting people to come in and spend their free user experience and performance. Applying passive
time. Overhanging boxes of “social reading rooms” strategies like natural ventilation, shading, atrium and
awake people’s curiosity and draws their attention. orientation of the building allowed us to reach de-
Proximity of the main avenue of the city- Slivnica sirable indoor climate and daylight conditions. Social
Boulevard, which is an important passage leading dimmention is an aspect of sustainability we believe is
to the Black Sea but also a vibrant street with many essential for designing a library building.
restaurants and bars, makes a library location a perfect We aimed to create socially sustainable building which
spot in a city structure to become an active part of cultivates the community spirit and access equality.
the area. Public plaza in front of the building connects The Library of Varna offers an activities to all com-
the library to a network of public spaces and creates munity members and creates a common ground, a
a natural destination for people coming from Slivnica platform where they have a chance to confront their
Boulevard. Public plaza offers a variety of activities ideas and learn from each other. The building creates a
that invite people to relax in the sun, but also, gives suitable conditions for a group work and gives an op-
them a “sneak peek” of library experience. Open portunity to participate in social events, however, re-
ground floor makes a building appear more accessi- spects the needs of people from diverse age group and
ble and integrated with a public space. Green garden provides a favorable circumstances for development
inside and atrium with an sculptural staircase attracts of individual. Space is flexible and easily adjustable
people and invites them to explore the building. what makes a library a place that can accommodate
We aimed for designing a building that could accom- wide gamut events and social situations- gatherings,
modate variety of functions but in the same time concerts, festivals. Overhanging social “living rooms”
preserve a traditional function and respect the book strengthen the feeling of community and aim to create
heritage without compromising new technology. a shared space where people can meet, gather and
The functions in Varna Library changes with the floor enjoy each other’s company while looking at the city.
level- starting from more public as events area, lobby, The structure reflects the main concept- merging
souvenir shop or restaurant and becoming more pri- tradition and modernity. The structure of “boxes”
vate while proceeding to higher floors with traditional stands in juxtaposition to a column-beam structure
library function. The traditional library function with of the main building. Cantilevers express the struc-
a convenient working atmosphere is balanced with tural potential of steel structure and tells the story of
additional “social reading rooms”- which favor humans how redefining a concept of library goes along with
interaction, gathering and group work. technological and societal change. Structure enhance
Technological development and digitization of re- flexibility of the building and allows an open plan
sources influenced the way how spaces in the building solution by defining spaces.
are shaped. Designing a spaces with different light
conditions, levels of privacy and atmosphere according
to its function was a goal of ours. Perforated metal
screens with different levels of light transmittance
allowed to control the light conditions. Locating
the volumes and functions according to orientation
allowed us to create desired natural light levels more
84
REFLECTION
When we approached the topic of Varna Library we be continued with application of knowledge that
preceded design stage with the analysis of Bulgarian we gained from investigation on simply supported
architectural tradition and influence of Communist cantilevered beam. Extending the topic and treating
Era on shaping image of Bulgarian city. Study trip to the whole building as one structural system would be
Bulgaria made us realize that soviet impact not only the next step. Introducing tensed wires could improve
left visible mark on architectural expression but also structural performance of the building what would
resulted in inhibited development in many fields. require subsequent Robot and Karamba calculations.
Therefore, after very informative interviews with In the next steps we would also try to utilize the roof
students in Varna and Vice-Chairman of the Chamber of the building.
of Architects in Bulgaria Martin Hristov, we became
more aware that the project aims for changing the Designing a library in Varna was a very educative ex-
current understanding of library notion in Bulgarian perience. The difference between climate conditions,
society. Social dimension, accessibility and friendly economical situation and social development between
atmosphere are crucial for reclaiming positive image Denmark and Bulgaria required from us different
and trust towards library institution. approach and made understand more the complexity
and challenges of architect profession.
In our analysis we encountered two different aspects
of sustainable architecture- environmental and social.
Our primary focus, however, fell upon social sustain-
ability and creating a comfortable, healthy indoor
climate. Reduction of energy consumption and eco-
nomic aspect of sustainability was not an object of our
major considerations. The indoor climate calculations
in Bsim were carried out on the biggest “social reading
room” which, due to its orientation, volume and glass
facade, was the part of the building at risk of overheat-
ing. Sustainable passive strategies were applied in the
building but there is no calculations on different parts
of the building. We believe that the chosen strategies
are sufficient for creating a good indoor climate and
they also contributes to reduction of energy con-
sumption but in the further steps we would explore
this topic along with application of active strategies
as solar panels- especially relevant in Varna sunlight
conditions.
We achieved desired levels of daylight with consider-

ation of solar heat gains, however, more detailed con-
siderations of perforation types and its influence on
quality of light, glare reduction and visual connection
with outer space could be proceed.
We aimed for designing a tectonic structural system.

We believe that structural considerations should have
been implemented in an earlier stage of the process
and the calculations on cantilevered structure could
85
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IMAGE LIST
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terior,_Trinity_College_Dublin,_Ireland_-_Diliff.jpg
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wordpress.com/2015/07/hereford_chained_library.
jpg
Fig .1.3-1.10 Own photograph
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de/meldungen/Meldungen-Museum_von_Nishiza-
wa_in_Japan_2433859.html
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com/630496/intesa-sanpaolo-office-building-ren-
zo-piano/55529b3ce58ece92c70002ba-intesa-san-
paolo-office-building-renzo-piano-photo
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eu/best-libraries-around-the-world-cont/
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com/118627/ad-classics-sendai-mediatheque-toyo-ito
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ects/project/57/Library-of-Birmingham/t/0
Fig. 1.19-1.20 Available at: http://www.archdaily.
com/421970/library-of-birmingham-mecanoo
Fig. 2.1-2.2 Competition brief
Fig. 2.3- 2.4 Own photograph
Fig. 2.5 Competition brief
Fig. 2.6-2.12 Own illustration
Fig. 3 Own illustration
Fig. 4.1 Available at: http://www.texturegen.com/
free-textures/texture-260/
Fig. 4.2 Available at: http://seamless-pixels.blogspot.
dk/p/free-seamless-concrete-textures.html
Fig. 4.3 Available at: http://www.render911.ru/
metal.php
Fig. 4.4 Available at: http://www.mrdirectint.
com/602-frosted-glass-vessel-sink.html
Fig. 4.5 Available at: http://www.eifsdepot.com/eifs-
repair-kit/
Fig. 4.6 Available at: http://www.floormatshop.com/
Premium-Soft-Floors-Interlocking-Mats-AL-PSF.aspx
Fig. 4.7- 4.18 Own illustration
Fig. 5.1-5.45 Own illustration
87
APPENDIX 1
Bsim analysis model. The zone (the biggest social

reading room) highlighted red in the model is the one
analised.
Fig.6.2
The analised space.
F i g . 6. 1
Bsim calculation model
88
89

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CITY LIVING ROOMS

Varna Library, Bulgaria

History of libraries 8 PROCESS

The focus of our master thesis project is aimed to-

Our goal was to design a building which shows

1 PROBLEM / IDEA 2 ANALYSIS 3 SKETCHING 4 SYNTHESIS 5 PRESENTATION

WHY DO WE NEED LIBRARIES?

• H E R I TA G E •MEETING AND WORKING PLACE

“We believe that libraries are uniquely situated to promote

Reading books in a paper form affects people positively.

Library architecture and atmosphere created by architecture

It provides equal access to information in general, because

Bulgaria due to its warm climate with long summer

Bulgarians spend a lot of time in the parks and green

Varna Library is going to be the first modern library

Varna Public library.The conditions in the library are unsatisfacto-

Varna University of Economics library is designed for students. It is

POSITIVE EFFECTS OF INDOOR PLANTS

Elevated levels of carbon dioxide negatively affect

Studies suggest that presence of the plants has

According to real life office studies, greenery in the

The Sendai Mediatheque inspires us because of how

The structure defines the caracter of interior spaces, becoming a

The Library of Birmingham designed by mecanoo and FA C A D E

The site is located in the southern part of the city of

Copyright © Free Vector Maps.com

At present the site is covered with prolific green-

The map shows the typologies, which are around

There is a significant number of hotels in the

Residential/ mixed use residential

Municipality Hall is the main dominant in the

The diagram shows the noise levels during busiest

Geographic location of Bulgaria assures that the coun-

The sun shadow diagrams show how shadows moves-

It is crucial to use this quality in designing the library

20:52 40° 05:29 8

Annual sun path diagram Shadow diagram during summer solstice

There is a wide network of open public spaces

Location of the site in the city center requires

The climate in varna is semi continental where

During summer and spring the biggest part of the

The library would attract young people by creating

Loading zone Staff entrance

Technology Library items

Specialized reading areas

Parking entrance / exit

reference desk/ 120 Restrooms

Cloakroom and lockers 630 Collection

Vision of our project is to design a public library with

With our project we aim to bring people back to

We aim to redefine a notion of library for people of

The project focuses on environmental and social

The library design should be tectonic. The structure

The goal is to design a building and a new public space

SITE BOUNDARY P U B L I C S PA C E OPEN

GARDEN S TA I R S CITY LIVING ROOMS

CITY LIVING ROOMS

Varna library has an open ground floor which offers a

Reading spaces for adults