Keeper of Knowledge

Abstract

The ambition of the project for the new public library in Beirut is one that explores how architectural space can facilitate this synergy between digital information and books. Through the integration of digital media in architecture and its interactive aspects, information can become more accessible to users. Beirut is historically known for being the intellectual center of the middle east. Hosting high quality schools and possessing a cosmopolitan character, Beirut truly put its mark on the map. Despite this reputation, Lebanon now finds itself struggling with urgent crises surrounding education and knowledge. The most important factor in the crises is the socioeconomic disparities in the access to knowledge and education. Currently there is a lack in public learning spaces and buildings in Beirut. Due the absence of a public library or learning space in the city, Beirutians have little access to knowledge and this access is determined by their social class. By satisfying the need for a public library there is a potential to address the social fragmentation of Beirut and minimize this fragmentation. This learning space should not only respond to the current needs of the city, but also to the future of Beirut.

Economically, there is a national shift from service sector to IT sector. It is expected that Lebanon will grow further in the IT sector due to its national and regional competitive advantage. The same trend is seen in globally, where digitalization is becoming more and more apparent in our daily lives. This new way of living influences the library typology, where printed and non-printed information can be found. The way we learn is evolving due to this fast paced growth of technology. Conventional learning is teacher- centered. This type of learning typically refers to learning situations where the teacher is the main source for learning. This is also visible in conventional libraries, where the buildings are book centered. With the rise of technology however, there is new trend of learning which shifts from teacher-centered to student-centered learning. This means that the subject learns through different sources of knowledge, due to the accessibility of it through technology. In contemporary library buildings, this shift is visible where the building’s main element is not only books. In other words, typology is becoming less book centered and more user-centered. The library is not only a collection but an experience where multiple types of information come together. How can these different media be interwoven and work together to create an optimal library experience? In most contemporary buildings, these two types of information are quite segregated in the building. But how can these two ways of information be interwoven and work together to create an optimal library experience?

The research question for this project is: What role can a public learning space play in the reconstruction of Beirut and how can it spatially facilitate the local and global digitalization of information?