With high illiteracy rate in Indonesia and lack of reading facilities, SHAU -a multi-awarded rising architecture practice- started a mission: to rekindle interest in books by offering a designed place for reading paired with multiple community activities.
▼由两千个回收冰淇淋桶组成的图书馆,the Microlibrary Bima made out of 2000 recycled ice cream buckets
微型图书馆:小而多,从万隆到南半球Microlibraries: Small but Many, From Bandung to the Global South 2012年,“100微型图书馆”计划的启动惠及了整个印度尼西亚及周边国家。它使得学习变得更轻松而有趣。虽然印度尼西亚的经济预测乐观,但目前的基础设施尚无法满足改善国家人类发展指数的需要。热心学习的学生缺乏活动场所,而图书馆又缺乏吸引力。美好的设计可以改变这一切,让图书馆变得更佳吸引人。除了设在市中心,甚至还可以设在家附近。
In 2012, the ‘100 Microlibraries’ program was initiated to make learning attractive and reachable for Indonesia and beyond. Although the economic forecast for Indonesia is optimistic, the current infrastructure does not support to improve its Human Development Index. Eager-learning students are hindered by the lack of facilities; libraries are far from being popular. The role of beautiful design can make libraries attractive again. Instead of positioning libraries only in city centers, why not bringing libraries closer to homes
▼“100微型图书馆”计划在印尼及南太平洋区域广泛开展, the ‘100 Microlibraries’ program aims to cover Indonesia and beyond
The mayor of Bandung Ridwan Kamil accommodated the idea and immediately provided a site. ‘Microlibrary Bima’ is the first realized prototype of a series of Microlibraries in different locations throughout Indonesia and the Global South. More microlibraries are under construction and in planning in thirteen different neighbourhoods and parks in Bandung. Each microlibrary is uniquely designed to fit programmatic demands of each site and community.
▼Bima 微型图书馆是这个系列中第一个落地的项目,其它更多的概念正在逐渐实现中, ‘Microlibrary Bima’ is the first realized prototype of a series of Microlibraries in different locations
Microlibrary Bima is located at Taman Bima in Bandung, Indonesia. The neighborhood consists of diverse middle and lower-income residents. The building is situated in a small square with a pre-existing stage that was already used by the local community for gatherings, events and sports activities. The planning intention was to add rather than take away, so SHAU decided to enhance the open stage by shading it, making it rain protected and cover it in form of the floating library box.
▼图书馆选址于一个社区广场内,the library is located in a middle and lower-income neighborhood
The building is constructed via a simple steel structure made from I-beams and concrete slabs for floor and roof. The stage was reworked in concrete and a previously missing, full-length stairs were added. As the building is located in a tropical climate, the aim is to create a pleasant indoor climate without the use of air conditioning. Therefore, it is important to use available facade materials in the neighborhood that were cost efficient, could shade the interior, let daylight pass and enable enough cross ventilation. Initially, the architects found several small vendors selling used, white and translucent jerry cans. However, prior to construction the jerry cans were no longer available in the required quantities. Instead, the team found used plastic ice cream buckets that were being sold in bulk. This turned out for the better as they have a more positive image and are more stable when cutting the bottom open for cross ventilation.
▼回收冰淇淋桶组成了独特的立面,the recycled buckets made a unique facade
在设计这两千个冰淇淋桶的排布时,建筑师想到了用二进制码来传递信息:打开的罐子代表零,封闭的罐子代表一。通过这种方式,在立面上创造了一个信息墙。Ridwan Kamil市长为团队提供了一条信息:“buku adalah jendela dunia”。意思是,“书是打开世界的窗户”。信息可以从左上方读取,然后环绕整个立面循环出现。这不仅让立面变得十分独特,同时这些罐子如同一个个自然光灯泡,为室内带来了宜人的光线。
While studying design options of how to arrange 2000 ice cream buckets, SHAU team realized that they could be interpreted as zeros (opened) and ones (closed), thus giving them the possibility to embed a message in the facade in the form of a binary code. SHAU asked the Mayor of Bandung, Ridwan Kamil, a supporter of the project whether he had a message for the Microlibrary and neighborhood and his message is: “buku adalah jendela dunia”, which means ‘books are the windows to the world’. The message can be read starting from the top left (facing the front) and spirals down around the perimeter repeatedly. Not only does the facade give additional meaning to the building but the buckets also generate a pleasant indoor light ambiance since they scatter direct sunlight and act as natural light bulbs.
▼冰淇淋桶组成了二进制代码立面,the facade is embed with message of binary code
The buckets were then placed in between vertical steel ribs spanning from floor to roof and are inclined towards the outside to repel rainwater. For more harsh tropical rainstorms translucent sliding doors in the inside can be closed temporarily. Mounting 2000 buckets, making the fixture and punching out bottoms of more than half of them is time consuming. However, the local craftsmen made their own punch out/cutting tools to be faster while also maintaining sharp and clean edges.
▼图书馆室内有着宜人的自然光,the library interior with a pleasant indoor light ambiance
The Microlibrary adds identity and is a source of pride for all the people in the neighborhood. The activities and teaching are currently supported and organized by Dompet Dhuafa (Pocket for the Poor) and the Indonesian Diaspora Foundation. However, the ultimate goal is to enable the local people to organize the content and maintenance independently. A local elementary school has started to visit the microlibrary 2 times per week as a part of their curriculum.
▼这里成为了孩子们学习的 绝佳场所,the library became a good place for kids to study
▼夜景,night view
▼平面图,floor plan
▼立面图,elevation
▼剖面图,section
Short facts:Location: Taman Bima, Bandung, IndonesiaBudget: 40,000 EURProject end date: 15 September 2015Area: 160 m2 (including stage)Client: City of BandungFlorian Heinzelmann, Daliana Suryawinata, Yogi Ferdinand with Rizki Supratman, Roland Tejo Prayitno, Aditya Kusuma, Octavia Tunggal, Timmy Haryanto, Telesilla Bristogianni, Margaret Jo, Angga Rosiawan, Aistyara CharmitaSignage graphic design: NusaeThe Architizer A+ Awards 2017 in the ‘Community + Architecture’ category.