Results of the Tiny Library 2023 Architecture Competition

The latest edition of the Tiny Library Architecture Competition has published its winning entries, awarding the top positions to designs from Canada, India, and the UK.

Organized by Volume Zero, the competition brief tasked participants to design "a Tiny Library optimized for 75 users with engaging multifunctional spaces for all ages and spatial experiences" within a structure not bigger than 300 square meters (3,229 square feet) of built-up area on a site in a rural or remote context.

The jury included Puran Kumar (Studio PKA), Peter W. Ferretto (Condition Lab), Lui Hanxio (LLLab), Ahmad Thaneem (3dor concepts), Antonio Garza Ferrigno (Proyecto Reacciona), Catherine Ranger (MGS Architects), Luis Ricardo (LLLab), and Sebastian Irarrazaval (Architect).

FIRST PLACE: The Ship of Knowledge by BOURGEOIS LECHASSEUR ARCHITECTS (Canada)

Project excerpt: "A boat is a place within isolation. The heart of the cosmos for those who sail it. Designed to reflect the maritime universe that inhabits the Entry Island, the Tiny Library is a landmark in the territory. Indeed, the project is inspired by the site’s socio-cultural context and the economic activities that characterize its genius loci: deep-sea and walrus fishing. Part of the Magdalen Islands, this treeless territory is charming by its rolling green hills and the authentic but few Scottish descent families who occupy it. Set in this island environment, the library aims to become the Noah’s Ark of knowledge."

Second Place: Reclaiming Progress by Ravisha Rathore and Devesh Uniyal (India)

Project excerpt: "In the vast Himalayan Mountain range lies Thapli, a remote village on the verge of being completely abandoned by its own people. In this slow process of desolation, the first to leave are the men, while the women work trifold still holding the agrarian village together. Our interest lies in the Women of Thapli, the last fully functioning members of the village, that were systematically kept outside the 'economic scheme' and hence is also the only one capable of challenging it. By appropriating the traditional concept of a library/- pustakaalay/ gyaan aashray for the women of Thapli, this intervention aims to create a transformative space that challenges the prevailing notion of progress defined solely by urbanization. Instead, it highlights the intrinsic value of self-sustaining village ecosystems and their potential to chart a more environmentally sustainable and inclusive future."

Third Place: The Seventh Generation Library by Roberta Vasnic and Ian Sanders (United Kingdom)

Project excerpt: "This library has been designed to be part of its natural seating. Not simply to be located within a Banyan Tree Forest, but to be enveloped by the roots of this unique tree. The Banyan Tree holds a special place in Indian culture. It is the country’s national tree and its aerial root system, climbing downwards from the canopy, offers a means to integrate the library in the local ecosystem. Building on the indigenous theory of the seventh generation, the library would be constructed predominantly in timber and, over the generations would become wrapped in the roots of the trees above, until it becomes a living part of the forest. This metaphor carries into the use of the building. As a library located adjacent to the Living Roots Bridge, on the edge of Riwai, in the Meghalaya region of India, its purpose is to establish, enhance, and embed knowledge in the community. This knowledge will grow over generations, as the roots cloak the structure, rooting the library into the community and nature. The building is divided into three primary elements: General knowledge and fiction, a children’s section, and an information technology suite. Each element is accessed off a central courtyard which can be used for community events, art and sculpture exhibitions, and lectures."

Honorable Mention 1: Traveling Stories by Salmah Beydoun (United States)

Honorable Mention 2: Beyond Borders by Alexander Tarek Araj (Germany)

Honorable Mention 3: One Roof Library by Aman Bhavsar and Joy Ann Lim Ee Hsien (India)

Honorable Mention 4: Paper Pavilion by Antar Ghazoul (United Kingdom)

Honorable Mention 5: The Nomad by Thakan Navapakpilai and Xiaobai Zhao (United States)

Honorable Mention 6: Textile Tome by Akkarawin Valinluck and Pimchid Chariyacharoen (Thailand)

Honorable Mention 7: NASIKI by Dilianis Arenas (United States)

Honorable Mention 8: Librarinha by Pedro Medeiros De Faria (Brazil)

Honorable Mention 9: Mestia Library by Alexander Babushkin and Sophio Bedoshvili (Russia)

Honorable Mention 10: THE NOMADIC LIBRARY by Nahom Redda and Amanuel Demissie (Ethiopia)