比利時聖馬爾滕斯-拉特姆　公共圖書館

OFFICE Kersten Geers David Van Severen

這座位於比利時聖馬爾滕斯-拉特姆的全新圖書館，是社區的集會中心點，一如人們對於圖書館的普遍定義，此項目為市居民們共同享有，可於此閱讀、活動。

The new library for the municipality of Sint-Martens-Latem is first of all a central gathering point. In the tradition of the cultural centre, the library is set up as a large living space, shared by the residents of the municipality.

弧形輪廓勾勒出馬鞍狀的屋頂，獨特外型成為市容中一項亮眼設計，使該建築不僅是所在村莊的核心點，亦是沿途過道的別緻景觀。內部空間由弧狀抹灰立面構築而成，利用木質櫃體為屋頂提供支撐，櫥櫃牆則隱晦地象徵公共空間與政府單位的分界，繼而展現公共圖書館作為市民專屬活動天地之特性。

A saddle-shaped roof is delimited by a circular perimeter. The perimeter cuts the roof shape into a distinctive figure in the centre of the municipality, as anchor point, as the first element of a cluster of public buildings – buildings in the village centre, along the road and along the new municipal settlement. The rounded plastered perimeter makes the main space of the library building. The wooden library cabinets inside are built alongside and also carry the roof. The cabinet wall defines the separation line between library spaces and municipality.

在圓形量體外圍，團隊利用方形線條圍出閱讀花園和多功能大廳，該花園是圖書館的中心區域，更成為「該市鎮中最大的房間」。

In the round perimeter, a square figure makes both the reading garden and the polyvalent hall. The reading garden is the centre of the library, as the ‘largest room in the largest house’ of the municipality.

Photo：Bas Princen

OFFICE Kersten Geers David Van Severen

OFFICE is an architectural practice founded by Kersten Geers (1975) and David Van Severen (1978). Since its establishment in 2002 in Brussels, OFFICE has been committed to the idea of architecture as a cultural undertaking aimed at improving the human environment. To that end, we see the increasingly pressing topics of sustainability, responsible sourcing, or future use, as a catalyst for shaping our urban and social realm, and architectural form as part of the solution. OFFICE is a collaborative practice, bringing together our colleagues, developers and experts from various disciplines, in order to assure quality of every project. The projects are at once pragmatic and innovative, while deeply rooted in diverse architectural histories. In its very essence, our work creates a framework within which life unfolds in all its complexity.

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