An original
14th century Marinid archaeological area is at the core of the
reading spaces of the Library. The excavations were included in the interior
space of the public building, and the architects worked with the supervising
archaeologist to creating a sense of openness and transparency between the
Library and the Marinid centre. The project programme is organised vertically
on seven levels, three of them overlooking the archaeological remains. The
building consists of many different components and the architects wanted to
give it a sense of uniformity, to cover it all with one unifying surface. So
they developed the idea of a “veil” (a perforated screen) in order to link it
all together. The double-skinned facade cut with windows is built with
lightweight perforated metal panels in order to filter the strong light and to
protect the interior from the strong Straits winds. It also proved to be a good way to
hide maintenance galleries. They wanted to identify good views of the sea and
the city and to make sure that these became an important component of the
design. Cutting through the veil to highlight these was all the more important
given that the steep topography of the site meant that the building would be
very visible and effectively had no “back”. The Library caters to a wide range
of people in this autonomous Spanish city close to Morocco and incorporates a
range of cultural events into its programming.
Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture
