04 GUAYAQUIL’S MUNICIPAL LIBRARY EXPANSION & RENOVATION

Part 2

Location: Guayaquil, Ecuador Spring 2019

The existing library will be renovated to use it as “a historical library and museum for the use and benefit of the public.”

Those areas that are currently being used to store books, will be opened to create more lecture rooms, and the interior patio, which is now open for administration use only, will be recovered and reopened to exhibit sculptures for all visitors. The construction of more storage rooms at the new building, also allows the existing library to open up space, allowing better circulation.

Furthermore, the library does not meet ADA accessibility requirements because all of the entrances are through stairs. While doing research, it was discovered that wheelchair users couldn’t get into the building, instead, they would have to come with someone that could walk into the building and ask for the books they need. This was a major problem that needed to be solved. Since the building is considered historic property, the intervention is limited and the facade can not be altered, however, the interior has more flexibility, that’s why the proposed intervention includes the construction of ramps and elevators in order to make the building accessible for all the visitors.

The project also proposes the adaptation of acoustic upgrades to protect the interior of the reading rooms from the exterior rooms.

Site Analysis: Urban Context

The existing library is located in the cultural district of the city. The library is surrounded by educational, institutional, commercial, and religious buildings, most of them of historic value.

Access and Circulation

Downtown Guayaquil was designed on a grid plan. The site has access to different types of public transportation, and some streets nearby are closed to car transit and pedestrian use only.

Intervention: Stairs to ramps

Intervention: Stairs to ramps

Intervention: Floor-to-ceiling windows

Details to keep: Wrough iron design

Details to keep: Glass blocks Details to keep: Custom-made railing

Ground floor

First floor

Second floor

Lecture room

The proposal for the auditorium consists of opening all the lecture rooms to the public and removing storage shelves, filling up the space with more comfortable seats for the public to use. The rooms will also get their acoustic systems improved by replacing the window glass with soundproof glass.

The proposal for the auditorium consists of a new ceiling design and an improvement of the acoustics by installing different glass for the windows.

Interior Patio

The interior patio is currently closed to the public and used as storage for cleaning supplies. The patio has also been adapted to give room for offices by using non-invasive structures. The proposal includes the replacement of the floor with concrete tiles, the conservation of existing trees, and the exposition of sculptures, which are currently scattered all over the library.