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The Bookhouse; the Library of Chance

Part 2 Project 2009
Laura Frances Martin
 Queen's University Belfast | UK
Entitled ‘The Bookhouse; the Library of Chance’ this thesis was based on designing a national and lending library for the divided island of Cyprus. The site was located within the ‘Buffer Zone’ at the heart of the capital Nicosia, a ‘no man’s land’ which from 1974 has separated the Greek and Turkish Cypriots. Looking towards the eventual reunification of Nicosia, any new or replacement buildings suggested for the Buffer Zone needed to be bi-communal. More significantly any proposal had to take into consideration how preciously this area is regarded by the locals; any replacement to the crumbling ruins needed to be rooted in their culture which many Nicosians feel they have been ‘stripped -off’ owing to the division. A national library for Cyprus therefore needed to be an interpretation of the Greek and Turkish (Muslim) traditions of library building instead of applying the 20th century standard typology, borne out of Western European countries, that a library acts primarily (and often only) as a storehouse for books.
If the history of libraries is examined it can be seen that in Greek and Muslim cultures a library was regarded as being more than simply a storehouse; they were spaces of physical experience designed to stimulate the senses. The ideas borne out of the libraries of the aforementioned cultures helped to inform both the brief and form of the building. In the Bookhouse the expected library components of the book collections, reading and staff areas are still present, known as the Storehouse. However there is also the Workhouse (a scriptorium), the Civichouse (community facilities) and lastly the Bathhouse.
Initial conceptual studies were based on the idea of re-establishing spatial hierarchies within the library. The starting point was the exploration of the grain of Nicosia. A typical Nicosian block can be summarised as having heavy, protective and introverted exteriors of smaller spaces, gradually becoming larger towards the centre of the block. The rhythm of the existing historic grain which had existed on the site was used to inform the layout of the walls thereby creating a sense of familiarity.


This project is one of twelve schemes proposed for the Buffer Zone of the Walled City of Nicosia, Cyprus. This was part of a group intervention to propose ‘gluing’ projects for this area that has been inaccessible since 1974. The aim of this intervention was to stitch the city once again through schemes that were based on the Nicosia Master Plan planning guidelines, and endeavoured to bring the Turkish and Greek Cypriot communities together through architecture, landscape architecture and urban design. The proposed building is an outstanding, sensitive and innovative example of humane architecture that fits extremely well into its complex context.
Tutor(s)

Mr Alan Jones
2009
The context for the Bookhouse is the divided city of Nicosia, where Greek and Turkish Cypriots are separated by a UN patrolled ‘Buffer Zone’
It is envisaged that the Buffer Zone will one day dissolve, reuniting the city, with bi-communal buildings replacing some of the ruins
In order to address both cultures the idea of what a library is was examined, exploring the ideas that permeated ancient libraries
Based on the historical typologies, the core idea of the Bookhouse was to reinstate the library as a place of physical experience
Hierarchies were re-established in the library using the grain of Nicosia as a guide
Like a Nicosian city block, the Bookhouse has a heavy, protective and introverted exterior of smaller spaces with larger open volumes internally
Ground floor and basement plans. The walls follow the historic grain that had exited on site to create a sense of familiarity
First and upper first floor plans.
Exterior view from Phaneromeni Square of the south of the Bookhouse
View towards public entrance
Colonnade on the south. The vaulted forms of the reading alcoves assist natural ventilation.
Book alcove of the universal lending collection. Intimate study rooms are ‘caught’ between the vaults on the upper first floor.
National collection reading area at basement level, with exteriors of the Bathhouse towers seen in the background
View from the ground level down into the national collection
A bathhouse was once a feature of ancient libraries. In the Bookhouse the Bathhouse it is a place of conversation and contemplation
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