A Study on Outward Design Strategies to Enhance Publicity into Contemporary Libraries

The study aims to identify the design character of libraries today into outwardness which enhances publicity in the library buildings. This design trend tends to be emphasized in contemporary civic libraries. In these days, the libraries become not only to be the traditional places of information but also to be the multi-purpose places to provide community services and cultural spaces. Thus the contemporary libraries, especially big civic libraries, are willing to open to the public of diverse purposes and to accelerate social communication among them through outward design in the buildings. This study surveys literatures and identify accessibility, symbolism, openness, amenity, connection, as the characters of publicity in the libraries. The study also examines the outward design strategies of the libraries which enhance publicity in the ways of design to connect surrounding environment, to symbolize buildings, to wrap transparent external surfaces and to build interior spaces. The study finds in the case studies of ten outstanding civic libraries abroad which were built in relatively recent years that the outward design is achieved mainly through four ways. First, the libraries have connection with surrounding urban environment, thus have continuities from the surrounding. Second, the libraries have the shapes of landmarks which expose themselves and their roles to the outside. Third, the libraries have transparent surfaces through which outdoor environment penetrates into the buildings. Fourth, the libraries have corridors and halls which look like traditional urban public streets and plazas. The study concludes that outward design strategies which employ in contemporary libraries enhance publicity in the libraries. Thus the libraries can perform as multi-functional cultural and open places which accelerate social interactions among the public of cities. This study has the value as a research which emphasizes outwardness as the design strategies which enhance publicity in contemporary libraries.

공공성 구현을 위한 현대 도서관의 외부지향 계획 특성 연구