SOLITUDE

The outset for this project is investigating how the old and traditional Landås library can increase its relevance to the local community of Årstad, through user participation and with few financial resources.

I found that the library needed to adapt to the modern society’s expectations of what a library should be, where central aspects have been the library's new role as a meeting place and arena for public discussion and debate, the society’s scope for user participation and sustainability, new functions in libraries and what it is possible to borrow at a library.

I responded to some of the local challenges in the area by facilitating for the community to get to know each other and support each other, across different age groups and social backgrounds. I have done this through architecture, as well as by facilitating for activities as an attractive alternative to the commercial actors. It was also important to accommodate for different needs by offering spatial variety, including offering a recreational space for youth.

By working with smart spaces, and by involving the librarians and the community through user participatory processes, I have adapted the library to these new expectations and functions, with the same amount of space they had in the 50’s, and with a low budget.

This is a temporary project that will last until the new library in Årstad is in place and offers a valuable experience and knowledge that can be transferred to the future library.