Gabriel García Márquez Library | SUMA arquitectura

This is a unique district library, presented as a sculptural volume inspired by stacked blocks of books and set on a square slightly elevated above the street, whose large openings and voids dialogue with the surroundings.
The access arcade extends the pedestrian and cultural axis of the neighborhood and connects with the interior. The facility has 4,294 m2 distributed over 5 floors, with a central courtyard that connects all of them and brings natural light into the heart of the building.

The structure is a hybrid of laminated and cross-laminated timber and steel, maximizing structural efficiency and architectural performance. Its configuration is based on three cores connected by lattice girders, with an unusual volume of exposed timber and concealed joints. The structure defines and qualifies the space without apparent tectonic stresses and integrates with the program, envelope and furnishings of each library ecosystem. The result is a great work of joinery, as warm and light as it is permeable and luminous.

A dense wood structure that enhances the haptic qualities (warmth, texture, smell and hydrothermal performance) and provides warm and intimate zones, while the structural layout offers a great variety of spaces. The library, as a public space par excellence, becomes everyone’s home, so any user will find his or her special corner.

Architects: Elena Orte, Guillermo Sevillano

Photography: Jesús Granada

Website: https://jesusgranada.com/