NEW LIBRARY IN LORENTEGGIO

New neighbourhood library in Lorenteggio, Milan

Type: Competition

Location: Lorenteggio, Milano (IT)

Year: 2018

Design: Litote

Budget: 3.860.000,00 €

Area: 1800 sqm

The new building is located in a high-density residential area, characterized by the lack of a strong urban, social and cultural identity. The new library becomes the opportunity to revitalize a strategic part of the city and restore a sense of community among the inhabitants. The new library's shape recalls the traditional buildings that characterize Milan's countryside, the "cascine lombarde". There are also other images recollected into the building's shape as collective memories, such as the "casa a ballatoio" and the traditional twin buildings, key feature of public squares. This creates a sense of belonging to the place, that looks familiar and recognizable but introducing some new characters that create a new identity. The building is configured as a sequence of traditional urban spaces, the piazza, the alley, the private garden, the public park, the terrace, the courtyard. The library is formed by two volumes, oriented along the E/W axis and connected by a central glass box, that allows immediate recognizability of the main entrance and provides permeability and visual connection with the park.