Spontaneous social interactions are essential for a fulfilling daily life, yet they are becoming increasingly rare in today’s preplanned routines. Third places – informal, inclusive settings separate from home and work – can fill this gap. Over time, libraries have evolved into spaces where the community can come together, making them strong contenders for third places. This research focuses on the Royal Library of The Hague (KB), exploring how it can better function as a third place by redesigning its transitional spaces to encourage spontaneous social interaction. Through literature review, on-site mapping, and case study analyses, the research assesses both the urban context and the interior transitional spaces of the KB, and investigates the design criteria for enhancing social interactions. The analysis focuses on seven topics – route/circulation, façade, vision, spatial organisation, light, and furniture and green. ... Read more

The motive for this thesis lies with public buildings that were designed for a specific purpose and seemed to meet the wishes of their time and place, but the popularity of which declined, leading to demolishing or large renovations. The building that is being studied is the Babylon building in the Hague, a multi-functional building built in 1978. After initial popularity, the building quickly lost its visitors and underwent a large renovation in 2007, only 30 years after its opening. The research question is therefore ‘What were the ideas behind Babylon and the way it was designed and how did this influence the functionality and popularity of the building?’. To answer this question, the building and its design process are studied at different scales through literary and archival research. Through this research, it becomes apparent that, while Babylon is viewed both positively and negatively, the negative critiques have the upper hand in every scale. Location and both exterior and interior design choices have lead to the fall of Babylon. ... Read more