The Reading Stoa

Project idea

Based in Sharjah, the Unesco Book Capital for 2019, The Reading Stoa is a prototype of a community reading room, that employs three concepts: the pavilion’s mobility, the Book Vending Machine and the Community Canvas.
Through mobility, receiving and expression of emotions and thoughts The Reading Stoa brings back the Greek Stoa. It allows the visitors of the pavilion to engage in intellectual discussions and in the long run create a “Butterfly Effect” that promotes reading to the community and elevates its overall intellectual level.

Project description

1- Mobility: The pavilion’s flexibility and ease of assembly and construction make it easy to assemble and disassemble depending on the site. Sharjah’s weather is fairly moderate from the months of November to May. Therefore, the pavilion can easily shift from one location to another. This nomadic quality optimises the pavilion’s use for students in schools and universities during these months and enclosed spaces during the rest of the year.
2- Book Vending Machine: This mechanism of book for a book ensures that the shelves are always packed with books and securing the pavilion’s functional longevity. This lets the people in the com-munity read similar books and have topics of discussion that lay down the foundation for intellectual conversation between visitors of the pavilion
3- Community Canvas: This feature allows multiple forms of interaction between the visitors of the pavilion. First is the interaction between readers in the form of art, poetry or prose on the canvas which expresses their sentiments about a reading or a book. Second is the interaction between readers and their community, as this intrigue draws in people that are not avid readers to unveil what the discussion is about.

Technical information

The parti diagram is a clear assymetrical split in plan, which becomes the primary circulation path. This path is flanked by the book exchange wall on one side and the reading space on the other. The book shelves are integrated with the primary structure of the pavilion. The shelves will be held by L clamps and can be removed easily when the stoa has to be shifted to a new location.
These stoas can be placed either as standalone structures, or within existing circulatory public spaces like boulevards. The weather in Sharjah is pleasant for 9 months a year, especially in winters (Novem-ber to May) when the temperature ranges between 18 degree and 25 degree celsius. Therefore we suggest canvas as an infill material on all sides except the book exchange wall where it will be protect-ed by polycarbonate panels. However in other locations where it might snow & rain, polycarbonate can be used on all sides.