library, cricket club of india
the proposal for a small new library for this south bombay institution seeks to assert the idea of a library as a ‘house of books’. rather than signage, the shed structure uses a façade composed of books to convey its purpose. a series of large timber framed glass doors on central pivots serves two functions: the façade-as-bookcase but also when operated to open out the façade and blur the traditional boundary between in- and outdoors, to invite users to read in a shaded verandah, or on a bench in the proposed garden outside. this was achieved whilst increasing the book storage capacity by 40%, and space for seated readers several fold. the scheme also integrates an AV room, dedicated children’s reading area in a fun mezzanine space, lit by sun pipes. an aesthetic informed by the existing heritage building of the main clubhouse reveals itself in softly rounded corners, a spiral staircase, and the gently arched windows of the proposed façade.