Many outdated neighbourhoods undergo significant restructuring to comply with contemporary construction goals. When a neighbourhood is not beautiful in a conventional sense, any imbedded emotional attachment to the physical environment is easily misunderstood. The 2025 design project bieb!, which takes place in a seemingly uninspired neighbourhood in Gouda (NL), challenges this idea as it proposes the reuse of a vacant building as the central part of a library. The simple 1930’s brick and concrete building had previously functioned as a doctor’s office and mosque. Visiting the site and talking to the people from the neighbourhood made it apparent that this simple structure holds more cultural significance and emotional connection that any flashy new building would.
In response, bieb! proposes the addition of a new separate structure around the existing building. The new layer revalues the existing structure by creating a dynamic interaction in and around. The added layer divides the library into an old inner structure, a light new structure and an open space in between. It creates a dynamic interaction in the building as both structures conversate instead of compete.
As the existing structure is an important part of the building, the appearance of the added structure is designed in relation to it. Its contours are an offset of the existing ones and the irregularly placed columns correspond to the existing lines and facade openings. Moreover, a transparant outer structure ensures the old building remains visible through the new facade. This facade divides itself into a transparent ground floor and a translucent first floor - opening up the ground floor while retaining a semi-private appearance on the first floor. The structure of the facade is designed in the scale of a book - functioning as book shelving and creating an inspiring image of a wall of books through its translucent shell. The open plan leaves room for many free-to-use spaces to encourage social interaction. Social spaces such as a communal kitchen, workshop spaces and a room suitable for cultural gatherings are located in the inner building and are meant to be used freely by people from the neighbourhood. The offset facade creates space for circulation around the inner building, allowing a free organization of the plan that fits the specific needs of the users. This project strongly exemplifies the possibilities of humility in establishing functional buildings that add value to its surroundings. bieb! finds its modesty in embracing existing buildings and cooperating rather than overshadow. Its added qualities relate closely to the social needs of the neighbourhood while realizing a pronounced piece of architecture.