Renovation, Interior Design
7|12 Library
Summer/Fall 2021
What it was
Flats of 12 & 7, formerly some medical clinics, consists of two interconnected units of an office building that was going to be converted into a private library. Due to several medical offices and their particular facilities, the previous plan of the flats was a little bit irregular and full of rooms and oblique walls. After defining users and zones, and identifying the problems, we tried to change and adapt the existing plan to a new one that suits a private library.
Zoning and adaptation of the plan
The south unit includes a reading hall, a semi-private meeting room, an extended balcony, a kitchenette, a toilet and a storage room. This flat is connected to the northern one by a tiny archway. Two book storage rooms, a transitional space, a server room, a kitchen, and a new balcony including a new package for the heating system are located in the northern unit. The north unit has separate access from the outside corridor and a separate bathroom and a changing room.
Meeting Room
By removing the wall between the two southern rooms, a wider space was provided for the meeting room. Also, a part of the former kitchen was changed to the kitchenette for the meeting room, which is separated from the main part of the room by the entrance space.
The combination of warm and cool colours, creating contrast, lighting to define spaces, using greenery, and plasterwork to create spaces and shelves are some of the measures taken in the interior design of this part of the project.
Kitchenette
- It has been proven that short but frequent breaks are more beneficial and effective than longer, infrequent breaks.
- Something as simple as getting a glass of water can give people that important rest bite from their jobs.
- It can be healthful to allocate a few moments during the day to relax at work.
- By taking the time to rest and relax in a separate space, you provide yourself with the freedom of thought and you may even suddenly find new solutions to problems.
- One huge asset of having a kitchenette is embracing it as the heart of your office. Here you can socialize over a boiling kettle or some snacks.
- Having a place to store nutritious snacks can omit those trips to coffee shops and boost more healthy alternatives.
- Not only do you benefit from a space to eat, socialise and relax, but you also gain a space that is multi-functional and can meet other needs as they arise.
Extended Balcony
The increase in the size of the very small and impractical balcony of the southern unit resulted in its spatial quality and added to the landscape perception of the project.
The Partition
The installation of a glass partition defining the borders of the balcony, the meeting room, and the reading hall, caused the southern light to reach deeper and provide the hall with the natural light of the day.
Lighting & Flexibility
Flexibility is the main feature of the reading hall. Therefore, the lighting and electrical installations should be designed according to various situations, including gatherings and poetry readings and individual studies.
Linear lamps provide ambient light, and pendant lamps are considered to be the light needed for individual activities, both of which have the ability to move inside the rails branched off the cable tray and respond to the various layouts.
The Transitional Space
One of the challenges in our design was the centre part of the northern flat, in which the middle column (D2), irregular walls and the angled corridor from the north entrance were our primary concerns.
The main concept of this part was the hierarchy of entering the space: creating a sense of openness after passing the corridor and the pre-space and reaching the transitional space with its showcase installation and special lighting.
The Server Room
Placing the server room with a proper door for ventilation, in the middle of two units caused the amount of cabling to the minimum. The designed server covers the network of security cameras, fire alarm system, antenna, the Internet network, and accessibility to the books data and information. In addition, building this room completely solves the problematic location of the D2 column.
The Book Storage Rooms
The concept behind the arrangement of bookshelves was based on maximum use of space. The variety, size, and sheer number of books should be considered in the design. While achieving the optimal layout in the plan, the book sorting procedure was started and as a result, five colours were used to define different types and genres of books, making the space more readable.
The New Balcony
The revitalization of the balcony, which was previously part of the interior, increased the quality of the space and landscape of the northern flat. The poorly located heating packages of both units were replaced by a high capacity package in the semi-open space of the balcony. This relocation, although difficult, brought a lot of advantages to the project in terms of safety.
Renovation of Kitchen & Bathrooms
Before
After
