Library in the Unadapted Premises: Development of Architectural Transformation of Space

Siting, reconstruction, modernization of libraries in the unadapted premises has always been and remains till now a challenging practical problem in the global librarianship, which in each case obtains unique, unconventional solution. Soviet architects involved in the design of libraries — F.N. Pashchenko, L.Z. Amlinsky, V.G. Gelfreikh, A.R. Zimonenko and others — contributed to the development of this problem. They laid the modern and progressive theoretical and methodological foundations of the interdisciplinary section of library science — architecture and construction of library buildings which is actively developing in the 21st century, making the transition from the long-standing concept of the library as a repository for books to understanding it as a constantly changing, flexible and technological information space for all its subjects — visitors, readers and employees. Actualization of the complex task of creating a comfortable environment for the reader and librarian in the adopted for this purpose architectural space has come to the fore. The purpose of the article is to present an original approach in the pre-project study of the University library located in the Palace building in the form of an individual matrix of ideas and solutions. For the key conceptual ideas in the matrix of possible redesigning of the University scientific library the authors chose human centrism, openness, mobility and uniqueness. The paper presents architectural plans of the library, performed by master’s students of the St. Petersburg State Art and Industry Academy named after A.L. Stieglitz under the guidance of the architect-artist, Professor V.P. Timonin, as well as the matrix of ideas and possible solutions for the transformation of the material space of the library of the St. Petersburg State Institute of Culture, prepared by Professor M.N. Kolesnikova. The results of this work are of practical interest from the point of view of architectural design of libraries in the premises of historical buildings, that is an urgent global problem, as well as of theoretical interest for the development of modern library science in its sections related to library design, material and technical base of libraries and library imageology.

library buildings and premises, organization of library space, architectural design, University library, transformation of library space, pre-project study, matrix of ideas and solutions

1. Stolyarov Yu.N. An Architect of Library Buildings: To the 100th Birth Anniversary of F.N. Pashchenko, Bibliotekovedenie [Russian Journal of Library Science], 2007, no. 3, pp. 78—82 (in Russ.).

2. Stolyarov Yu.N. Pashchenko F.N., Bibliotechnaya entsiklopediya [Library Encyclopedia]. Moscow, Pashkov Dom Publ., 2007, pp. 785—786 (in Russ.).

3. Pashchenko F.N. Sotsial’no-ekonomicheskie osnovy razrabotki tekhnicheskikh uslovii i funktsional’no-planirovochnykh normativov dlya proektirovaniya bibliotechnykh zdanii, a takzhe prognozirovaniya novykh form bibliotechno-informatsionnogo obsluzhivaniya v SSSR [Social and Economic Basis for the Development of Technical Conditions and Functional Planning Standards for Designing Library Buildings, as well as Predicting New Forms of Library and Information Services in the USSR]. Moscow, 1970, 14 p.

4. Obrosov Yu.P., Pashchenko F.N. Massovye biblioteki v gorodakh: (Struktura seti, pomeshcheniya i zdaniya) [Mass Libraries in Cities (The Network Structure, Spaces and Buildings)]. Moscow, Stroiizdat Publ., 1973, 176 p.

5. Pashchenko F.N. Arkhitektura i stroitel’stvo bibliotechnykh zdanii: tekhn. al’bom [Architecture and Construction of Library Buildings: technical album]. Moscow, Gos. Arkh. Izd-vo Akad. Arkhitektury SSSR Publ., 1941, 296 p.

6. Amlinsky L.Z. Kompozitsionno-planirovochnye resheniya i tekhnicheskoe osnashchenie nauchnykh bibliotek: bibliotekovedcheskii aspect [Composition Planning Solutions and Technical Equipment for Scientific Libraries: Library Science Aspect]. Kiev, Nauk. Dumka Publ., 1988, 295 p.

7. Amlinsky L.Z. Nauchnye biblioteki informatsionnogo obshchestva: organizatsiya i tekhnologiya [Scientific Libraries of the Information Society: Organization and Technology]. St. Petersburg, Professiya Publ., 2008, 200 p.

8. Pekareva N. Vladimir Georgyevich Gelfreykh, Arkhitektura SSSR [Architecture of the USSR], 1960, no. 6, pp. 51—54 (in Russ.).

9. Zimonenko A.R. Printsipy organizatsii vnutrennego prostranstva v massovykh bibliotekakh [Principles of Internal Space Organization in Mass Libraries], cand. architect. diss. Moscow, 1987, 130 p.

10. Zimonenko A.R. Forming the Environment in Library Readers’ Areas, Sbornik nauchnykh trudov TsNIIEP im. B.S. Mezentseva [Collected Scientific Papers of the B.S. Mezentsev Central Research Institute]. Moscow, 1984, pp. 46—51 (in Russ.).

11. Zimonenko A.R. Library Buildings, Interiors, and Equipment, Spravochnik bibliotekarya [Librarian’s Guide]. Moscow, 1985, pp. 227—252 (in Russ.).

12. Zimonenko A.R. Basic Principles of Forming Internal Library Space, Nauchno-tekhnicheskie dostizheniya i peredovoi opyt v oblasti material’no-tekhnicheskogo osnashcheniya uchrezhdenii kul’tury: inform. sb. [Scientific and Technical Achievements and Best Practices in the Field of Inventory and Logistics Management of Cultural Institutions: information digest]. Moscow, 1991, issue 4, pp. 26—36 (in Russ.).

13. Zimonenko A.R. Public Libraries in the United States: Forming the Architectural Environment, Ot massovoi k publichnoi biblioteke: materialy seminara (10—11 noyab. 1992 g., Moskva) [From Mass Library to Public One: Seminar Proceedings (November 10—11, 1992, Moscow)]. Moscow, 1993, pp. 92—96 (in Russ.).

14. Guseva E.N. (ed.) Normative Legal Acts and Other Guidance and Regulatory Documents That Ensure the Implementation of the National Project “Culture”, Biblioteki novogo pokoleniya [New Generation Libraries], 2019, October, pp. 71—72 (in Russ.).

15. Dvorkina M.Ya., Kozlova E.I. Theoretical Issues of Creation of Model Municipal Libraries, Bibliotekovedenie [Russian Journal of Library Science], 2019, vol. 68, no. 4, pp. 354—361. DOI: 10.25281/0869-608X-2019-68-4-354-361 (in Russ.).

16. Gascuel J. Prostranstvo dlya knigi: Rukovodstvo dlya vsekh tekh, kto stroit, oboruduet i obnovlyaet biblioteku [A Space for the Book. Guide for All Who Build, Develop or Renovate a Library]. Moscow, Rudomino Publ., 1995, 303 p.

17. Borodina S.D., Salakhov R.F. Design of Public Libraries as Reflection of Their Social Functions, Vestnik KazGUKI [Bulletin of the Kazan State University of Culture and Arts], 2018, no. 4, pp. 91—96 (in Russ.).

18. Kolesnikova M.N. “Architecture and Design of Libraries” as an Academic Discipline of the Profile “Library and Information Management”, Kachestvo obrazovaniya v sfere kul’tury i iskusstv v usloviyakh realizatsii FGOS VO: materialy 15-i Vseros. nauch.-metod. konf. (s mezhdunarodnym uchastiem), Barnaul, 23 aprelya 2015 g. [Proc. of the 15 All-Rus. Sci.-Method. Conf. (with international participation) “Quality of Education in the Field of Culture and Arts in the Conditions of Implementation of the Federal State Educational Standard on Higher Education” (Barnaul, April 23, 2015)]. Barnaul, 2015, pp. 84—86 (in Russ.).

19. Kolesnikova M.N., Bakhtina E.V., Timonin V.P. Libraries Architecture and Design as a Subject of Teaching at the Library-Information Faculty, Bibliosfera [Bibliosphere], 2016, no. 2, pp. 3—6. DOI: 10.20913/1815-3186-2016-2-3-6 (in Russ.).

20. Kolesnikova M.N., Bakhtina E.V. Arkhitektura i dizain bibliotek: ucheb. posobie: napravlenie 51.03.06 “Bibliotechno-informatsionnaya deyatel’nost’”; kvalifikatsiya bakalavr [Architecture and Design of Libraries: Textbook: Direction 51.03.06 “Library and Information Activities”; Bachelor’s Degree]. St. Petersburg, SPbGIK Publ., 2016, 128 p.

21. Amlinsky L.Z. Readers in a Scientific Library of the Information Society, Nauchnye i tekhnicheskie biblioteki [Scientific and Technical Libraries], 2011, no. 7, pp. 5—17 (in Russ.).

22. Amlinsky L.Z. Scientific Library: A Space for Readers and Librarians, Nauchnye i tekhnicheskie biblioteki [Scientific and Technical Libraries], 2013, no. 1, pp. 100—107 (in Russ.).