Volume Zero has announced the winners of the Tiny Library 2019 competition. The architectural design competition posed a challenge to the participants to re-imagine the idea of a Library as a new age self-learning and educational incubation space; one that highlights the conventional means of education as well as encourages its users to interact, share ideas and grow together.

The esteemed jury for judging this competition consisted of Doan Thanh Ha (H&P Architects), Wenyuan Peng (Yuan Architecture), Li Xiaodong (Li Xiaodong Atelier), Pinkish Shah (S+PS Architect) and Shilpa Gore Shah (S+PS Architect).

The top three winners were awarded total prize money of $4000 while 10 entries received Honorable Mentions. Honorable Mentions can be seen on Tiny Library 2019 competition's website. 

See the three winning proposals with their short project descriptions below:

Image courtesy of the artists

First Place: Bassa Dilaut by Nicholas Liew Yuung, Sean Loh Hanyan, Tai Zheng Wei (Malaysia)

"Located in the Celebes Sea in Malaysia, the “Bassa Dilaut” is a designed to be a reading hub for the sea-faring, nomadic Bajau Laut community. As these people are considered stateless, they have limited exposure to development in terms of land and education. The aim of the proposed library is “to provide a platform for their learning as well as inheritance and advancement of their heritage and life skills."

"The participants have modelled the structure’s design concept “to incorporate the elements of the traditional living quarters of the shore-line and sea Bajau communities to provide a comprehensive yet familiar environment for the users."

Image courtesy of the artists

Second Place: The Fog-Eater Library by Karthick Raja B G, Madumitha R (India)

"Like a tower standing amidst the mist, the “Fog-Eater Library” is designed as a space in rural village, not just to share books, but also to share knowledge through personal interactions. The participants intend for their design to fuse interaction spaces along with the medium of knowledge sharing to enrich the lives of the villagers."

"The concept of the proposed design is based on elements such as the banyan tree that traditionally acts like a gathering place for community interactions. The library, coupled with a watch tower, also helps the villagers to keep an eye on trespassing wildlife nearby, thus ensuring the community’s safety."

Image courtesy of the artists

Third Place: (Tiny) Ministry of Knowledge by Vernes Causevic, Lucy Dinnen (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

"The “(Tiny) Ministry of Knowledge” proposes a collective institution, situated on a former front-line between Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is today a hiking trail around rainforest “Lom”. 

"The proposed library aims at re-establishing spaces (that were ravaged in the 90s Bosnian war) for community gatherings, rebuilding peace, shared identity and knowledge in today’s day. The structure evolves around timber construction which blends with the surrounding forests."

> via Volume Zero