ATELIER KOLLER - Library and Media Center, European school The Hague, The Hague/NL
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| situation © Michael Koller |
Refurbishment of the library and media center - European School The Hague
The 85m2 room for the future library and media center in the European school in The Hague is affected to pupils from nursery and primary school. It is a bright, open space with a simple rectangular shape, which allows a great flexibility in the arrangement of furniture and multiple possibilities to organize the necessary study and working areas.
Due to a recent refurbishment of the whole building, the floor, the walls and the ceiling are in a very good state. The electrical and data systems have been adjusted to the needs of contemporary media centers.
The study aimed to elaborate the most efficient though informal layout for the equipment which needs to be accommodated in order to structure the space and to anticipate the future growth of the school.
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| plan |
DESIGN
The furnishings needs to be adapted for the young public. The design differentiate three areas: the nursery area, the primary area and the areas intended for the librarians and the teachers.
The nursery area is characterized by the reading podium, composed of large, L-shaped steps, which are covered with soft seating cushions in different colors. The podium is encompassed by browsing book boxes containing audio and picture books.
The center of the primary area which is equipped as a media center, is formed by the colorful “moon tables”, which can be composed and arranged in a very flexible manner from one big working/conference table down to several individual tables for specific working groups.
In the heart of the working space for the employees stand the librarian desk with two additional computer work places for students, doing their research with the on-line catalog. The windows between the corridor and the library allow good views into the inside of the room and make the space very transparent, which correspond to a main feature of libraries in nursery/ primary schools. These windows work as vitrines and allow the presentation of new books, information for the students, teachers and parents on the top of the furniture right below the windows.
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| model © Michael Koller |
In the heart of the working space for the employees stand the librarian desk with two additional computer work places for students, doing their research with the on-line catalog. The windows between the corridor and the library allow good views into the inside of the room and make the space very transparent, which correspond to a main feature of libraries in nursery/ primary schools. These windows work as vitrines and allow the presentation of new books, information for the students, teachers and parents on the top of the furniture right below the windows.
The furnishings focuses on three key elements: the tailor made furniture, the standard furniture and the additional installations as benches, lamps and tables.
The tailor made furniture, the librarian desk, the reading podium and the moon tables, structure the space functionally and spacial. The standard library furniture have wheels and are to be used as visual separation between the nursery and the primary area and to create working niches. The additional installations such as benches and lamps will evolve according to the needs of the stuff and the students.
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| model © Michael Koller |
LAYOUT
The librarian desk is situated centrally between the two entrance doors on the side of the hallway, which allows a good visibility over all areas. The reading podium of the nursery area is placed close to the window. The primary area with its colorful moon tables is organized on the side of the storage room. This flexible table system allows the organization of specific working spaces in the center of the room. Two specially made seating furniture with integrated magazine displays and storage serve as additional reading places. The book shelves on wheels can be disposed as wished.
The rooms is dedicated to young students. Therefore the design previews the use of warm, natural materials such as wood for the tailor made elements, while the standard furniture were to be kept white.
client: European school The Hague - Rijnlands Lyceum, NL (www.europeanschoolthehague.nl).The rooms is dedicated to young students. Therefore the design previews the use of warm, natural materials such as wood for the tailor made elements, while the standard furniture were to be kept white.
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| model © Michael Koller |
architects: Atelier Koller.
study: November 2013 – January 2014