This project addresses the spatial challenges faced by the historic Stockholm City Library, designed by Erik Gunnar Asplund and opened in 1928. Renowned as a catalyst for library innovation, the library now struggles to accommodate the evolving needs of a modern library, with limited space for diverse study areas, group and private rooms, and community functions. The historical and architectural significance of the original structure constrains internal modifications, making an alternative solution essential.

A new addition is proposed south of the library, positioned between the pond and hill to integrate harmoniously with the natural landscape while respecting Asplund's original vision. This extension connects to the existing building at the ground and basement levels and features flexible, open spaces on the main floors, allowing for a variety of study areas. The upper level houses administrative offices, freeing space in the original library for its intended functions.

Externally, the addition is designed to reflect the library's dual role as a community hub and study space, with materials like stained wood and stone cladding that blend into the surrounding context. This expansion not only addresses spatial limitations but also enhances the library's connection to the city and natural surroundings, ensuring the preservation of Swedish heritage and maintaining the library’s role as a vibrant community resource. ... Read more

Architects have historically played an important role in kitchen designs, including notable female architects like Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, author of the 1926 Frankfurt Kitchen. Their solutions resulted not only from practical needs, but also from social and cultural changes at the time. This was also the case in Poland, although this is less widely recognized in Western architectural history. Barbara Brukalska, born in Brzeźce, Poland in 1899, was one of the first women to graduate from Warsaw University of Technology’s Faculty of Architecture and became the first female professor there in 1948. She worked in partnership with her husband Stanisław and together they became one of the most notable duos in modern architecture before II World War. In one of the housing estates they designed, Barbara proposed a model of a functional kitchen. This research examines the impact of her kitchen design, based on a review of existing literature. The paper begins with an analysis of Polish social changes after the I World War and kitchens before Brukalska’s contribution, followed by an outline of modern kitchens and ideas developed in North America and Germany. Then, Barbara Brukalska’s ideas are outlined and qualitatively analysed in the context of her life. In conclusion, an assessment is made of the actual impact of her proposed solutions, which in the end did not meet her expectations within the Polish society. ... Read more