Relationship with a privileged location. Public Library of Córdoba by Paredes Pedrosa Arquitectos
09/08/2023.
[Córdoba] Spain
Metalocus, ELENA DE LA FUENTE
Metalocus, ELENA DE LA FUENTE
Project description by Paredes Pedrosa
Cicero
The Library, with a privileged location in the Jardines de la Agricultura, assumes the difference in level between the elongated urban park and the avenue that buries the railway tracks. Its trapezoidal plan originates from the layout of the 18th century gardens, respecting the existing trees and staggering its height towards the park where a cantilevered balcony introduces the view of the treetops inside. The continuity of the Gardens allows to go out to read and share activities and the park becomes part of the library.
Public Library of Córdoba by Paredes Pedrosa Arquitectos. Photograph by Roland Halbe.
On its opposite side, a continuous and precise façade-lattice towards the city, builds the limit towards the avenue and the representative image of the institution. This three-dimensional latticework of modular cast aluminum pieces unifies views and lights, filters the west orientation and produces a transparency between both layers of the façade, facilitating maintenance and cleaning of the façade, unalterable under the patina of time.
This is how the traditional latticework is interpreted as allowing one to see without being seen, aerating and cooling the rooms and sifting the light and which, inside the main reading room, fragments the scale of the space acting as a silencing sound absorption. Also, the local Chinese Cordovan pavement on the balcony and outdoors reminds us of the origin of the stream that was the park in the Caliphate of which a wall remains remains in the children's area.
Ángela García de Paredes (1958) and Ignacio García Pedrosa (1957) are architects by the Architecture School of Madrid, where they teach. Invited professors in other spanish and foreign universities for teaching, critics and speakers. In 1990 they founded Paredes Pedrosa Studio, after collaborating with José María García de Paredes for several years.
They are authors of, among other works, the Valdemaqueda Town Hall, Valle Inclán Theatre in Madrid, the Archaelogical Museum of Almería, Peñíscola Auditorium, La Olmeda Roman Ville, Ceuta Library or the Lugo Auditorium. Their work has been recognized with the 2007 Spanish Architecture National Award, ar+d Award, Europan II and IV, Europa Nostra, Madrid Architecture Award, Mansilla Award, Gold Medal International Prize for Sustainable Architecture, Mediterranean Sustaniable Architecture Award and 'Golden Medal for the Merit in Fine Arts' 2014, given by the Culture and Sports Spanish Ministery. Their work has been exhibited in many national and international architecture biennials.