There has never been such a place in the capital before. A library will open in the Warsaw metro! It will function under the specific name of “Metroteka”. The place is being created on the initiative of the Targówek District Public Library, and its design was made by Grzegorz Kłoda of GK-Atelier.
The library will open at the Kondratowicza metro station. Its creation is part of a worldwide trend to build libraries in metro stations. Such libraries already exist in London, New York, Beijing and Prague. Warsaw will now join this list.
Locating reading rooms in places with heavy traffic is expected to make reading books more popular. Busy Varsovians will be able to borrow a book during their daily commute to school or work. Spontaneously. Without having to make special plans for a trip to the bookshop. The library will be set up in a room in the underground passage. The interior design was prepared by architect Grzegorz Kłoda of the GK-Atelier studio with the help of Justyna Baran.
In total, the library will have a surface area of 145 square metres. However, its interior will not resemble traditional libraries with densely stacked bookcases.
As designers, we decided that the best means of expression in terms of design language would be parametric technology. This technology is so innovative in the Polish public space that it is virtually unheard of. It was also important for us to maintain the open character of the library space, the so-called open space. We decided to apply a number of architectural treatments to optically enlarge the relatively small space of the Metroteka,” explains Grzegorz Kłoda.
The library will house the book collection relocated from the facility at 23 Kondratowicza St. The books will be arranged on organically shaped shelves. The motif of the natural world is also present in other pieces of furniture. Right at the entrance, “pillars” have been designed to harmonise the space like trees. Each shelf is an organic ribbon with a unique, wavy pattern running the length of the room.
In the deeper part of the library, an enclosure has been created that will give the feeling of being in a tunnel made up of vertical shelving elements. The tapering risers lead the eye straight into a space where activities ranging from author’s evenings to exhibitions of local artists’ work will be held.
The facility will allow people to borrow books on their own. It is scheduled to open later this year.
source: GK-Atelier
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