The project for the national congress library was commissioned by the Ministry of Public Works to be relocated in a building part of a protected heritage area in the town centre. The building has an importance as a testimonial from the transition between the art nouveau and rationalism. The challenge was to coordinate a dual program with segregated circulations.

 

On the one hand, the circulation, storage, spaces to classify and label the large amounts of books. On the other hand, the user, with differents degrees of accessibility, such as congressional officials and normal citizens. Moreover, the spaces of confluence of both circulations where the exchange of books take place in varying ways, such as the book lending to the reading rooms, which, should offer a peaceful space with special lights and protection against any possibility of noise.

 

The building was conceived with a high energy efficiency standard, requested by the tender regulations. Firstly, we incorporate skylights or vertical empty spaces in order to take advantage from the daylighting as much as possible. Secondly, we create a central skylight to ensure natural light for all the public spaces. Thirdly, the empty vertical spaces were proposed to produce natural ventilation, in relation to reduce investment in thermal control with passive solutions.