The Municipal Library was commissioned by the Town Hall and is located on the site of the old slaughter house, as per the Detailed Masterplan of the Old Industrial Zone (Polisvilareal). The building simultaneously houses two distinct institutions, which are physically independent: - The Municipal Library (BM2 type), which is part of the National Network of Public Reading - The Literary Club, for research purposes for the writers from the Tras-os-Montes region
The building is configured around an intersection of two dominant volumes, with a shifted T-axis.
In the east/west wing on the upper floor are the foyer and conference room for the Library, and the Literary Club on the lower floor. The Library is situated on the upper floor of the north/south wing, the lower floor houses the Children’s Library and the administration areas.
The building’s footprint and orientation allows for the freeing up of the southwest quarter of the plot for external patios and garden, and its set-back from the main road on the northern edge provides parking and loading access.
The urban image of the Library is manifested by the vertical volume above the foyer and the inclined access tunnel. These elements generate the character of the building, easily identifiable from the places with greatest visibility, the University and the south entry to the city.
The interior has a simpler reading. From the intensely white foyer the children descend and the adults ascend to their respective libraries. The reading rooms are rectangles, like storehouses of organized books. With one look, the readers understand that there is archived knowledge in this space. Once seated they discover there are particular spaces that the natural light invents, windows that reveal other rooms...
Constructive system - Reinforced concerete structure - Ventilated facade with white marble cladding and high density wood panels - External pavement in concrete slabs and wood decking - Laminated zinc roof - Aluminium framed windows - Interior floor finish: compact marble (Public areas), oak wooden floor boards (reading rooms), epoxy screed (administration areas), ceramic tiles (toilets)
