Madrid-based architecture firm Murado & Elvira has completed the restoration of a municipal library and historic archive in Spain. The refreshed interior includes reimagined details of the original stone construction and multi-functional curved maple wood walls.
Located in Baiona on the west coast of Spain, the library was originally home to the 17th-century Sancti Spiritus Hospital. The building sits in a historical context behind the ex-collegiate church of Santa María and within the city’s sloped, narrow streets.
The project began back in 2010, when Murado & Elvira won the Baiona City Council competition and were tasked to breathe new life into the building without erasing its history. Having undergone major alterations internally and externally, the two-level, 1076.5sq m library had lost some of its character over the centuries, which the architects sought to restore.
An outdoor courtyard showing the restored exterior of the library.
Inside, stone walls in the archive’s hallway display a treasure trove of archaeological delights, while a former stone step of the existing building was creatively reimagined as a seat; the stone, recalling the nostalgia of the former existing granite structure, yet warmed by the modern maple wood interior architecture throughout.
The children’s library is cocooned in the comforting maple wood, featuring multi-functional curved walls that double as integrated shelving, furniture and hidden spaces – including a secret door and puppet theatre. One of three staircases leads up to the main room on the upper floor – a vast open-plan expanse, defined by its circular skylights, an existing stone wall (of the original structure) and quirky cut out study booths.
The open-plan upper floor space with circular skylights and a preserved stone wall.
Transverse hallways and staircases connect the interior to the outdoor courtyard that is embellished with custom-designed lamps and a sleek garden fountain.
Set to become a favourite haunt for young and old alike, Baiona’s library provides a dynamic environment in which creativity can thrive to benefit society and nature. The design stands both as a landmark of the future and homage to the past, revealing a unique, bibliophile’s utopia. This creative and sensitive rejuvenation is proof that libraries are much more than buildings filled with books.
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Murado & Elvira website
-
Arthur Casas reimagines Villa Dubrovnik as a modern Adriatic retreatThe Brazilian architect brings poetic restraint and light to Croatia’s most elegant coastal hotel
-
14 of the best new books for music buffsFrom music-making tech to NME cover stars, portable turntables and the story behind industry legends – new books about the culture and craft of recorded sound
-
Margaret Howell marks 55 years in business by reissuing pieces from her archiveThe stalwart of British design will reissue a series of archival silk scarves to celebrate the landmark anniversary, alongside an era-traversing exhibition of foulards at the brand’s Wigmore Street store
-
In the heart of Basque Country, Bjarke Ingels unveils a striking modular building devoted to culinary researchSee what the architect cooked up for the Basque Culinary Center in San Sebastián, Spain
-
Spice up the weekly shop at Mallorca’s brutalist supermarketIn this brutalist supermarket, through the use of raw concrete, monolithic forms and modular elements, designer Minimal Studio hints at a critique of consumer culture
-
A Spanish house designed to ‘provide not just shelter, but a tangible, physical experience’A Spanish house outside Tarragona creates a tangible framework for the everyday life of a couple working flexibly in the digital world
-
Meet Ferdinand Fillod, a forgotten pioneer of prefabricated architectureHis clever flat-pack structures were 'a little like Ikea before its time.'
-
A courtyard house in northern Spain plays with classical influences and modernist formsA new courtyard house, Casa Tres Patis by Twobo Arquitectura, is a private complex that combines rich materiality and intriguing spatial alignments
-
In Santander, a cotton candy-coloured HQ is a contemporary delightSantander’s Colección ES Headquarters, a multifunctional space for art, office work, and hosting, underwent a refurbishment by Carbajo Hermanos, drawing inspiration from both travels and local context
-
This Madrid villa’s sculptural details add to its serene appealVilla 18 by Fran Silvestre Architects, one of a trilogy of new homes in La Moraleja, plays with geometry and curves – take a tour
-
This striking Spanish house makes the most of a tricky plot in a good areaA Spanish house perched on a steep slope in the leafy suburbs of Barcelona, Raúl Sánchez Architects’ Casa Magarola features colourful details, vintage designs and hidden balconies
