CANYONS LIBRARY

Project idea

This project dedicated to the great spirit of Navajo Native Americans Tribe.

The Idea of the project is to create the public place, library, were people will be able to research all kind of knowledge around The Great Red desert, which combines 4th States (Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico). In addition, which will collect the history, ceremonies, legends and cultures, pictures, artifacts of all local Indians, who were ever staying or passing through canyons.
Canyons Library supposed to become a sort of public monument with welcoming environment for everyone who somehow belong or interested into the local culture, land and secrets of the past.

"The Architecture Balance" - Balance through spiritual and historic knowledge, trough understanding desert's mysteries, its danger and beauty, personal harmony, self-spiritual experience through space and time of this land.

Project description

The Library combine few types of public functions:
- Art school with local's arts and crafts classes and store.
- Public area including main entrance hall, restaurant, courtyard lecture room with necessary technical/working spaces.
- Library with self-service counter, rest-reading area, studying room with chill out and access to the public terrace, located on the rooftop of Art school.
Total usable space is 1535 m2.

Architectural layout is the gallery type. Composition of the floor plan creates the sort of well, which represents the time loop, nothing is exist. Time River is invisibly passing through Scraps of knowledge that people managed to keep.
The visitor gets inside of well/courtyard through the colonnade. This is supported construction structure of library halls above it. At the right side of colonnade pass, you can see the Art school and crafts store entrance. The first step of knowledge through local cultural experience. At the right side of the Art school is the ground floor terrace - outdoor pass around the building. You can see it from the public parking, and follow it, to reach the main entrance through restaurant and courtyard from the right side as well.

Simple lines and radical angles of the Facade are inviting the visitor or, to walk around the building, to see how its changing at each new point of view, or, welcoming inside, through the courtyard to the main entrance. Where another attractive element is existing - Art masterpiece, representing one of the Canyons. This is kinetic Art. As much you move around it, as more perspective and 3d dimension feelings you get involved to. It takes you to the certain space and time moment of the picture, and new spiritual experience.

Inside of the courtyard, the visitor also has choices. To get into the main entrance of the building, or rest in the shadow of courtyard, in front of the waterfall walls, with a cup of tea and lunch from the restaurant. Alternatively, to move to the rooftop public terrace, to join a beautiful view, or keep moving to the Library archives through the terrace additional entrance.

The Library itself has 3 pavilions of books collection, archives and documents. Pavilions connected to each other by glass galleries. Made by factory tinted matt glass. It gives a lot of light, but at the same time not distracting necessary climate and specific library light regulations.
Library has self-service counter desk, where visitors can find out any literature they need to get, location at shelving and supported information how and where they are able to study it. Rest - Reading area for fast researching. Studying room for deeper involving in to the books world. In addition, chill-out balcony, where people can study or work with home comfort.

Technical information

Project Location is Page, Arizona. This is developed town, located on U.S. Route 89. Arizona State Route 98 heads east into the Navajo reservation. The population is more than 70000 people, big tourists flow. There is Desert Climate with hot, very dry summers and chilly winters with very little snow and rare rainstorms.

All the construction elements are environmentally friendly. Monolithic concrete columns to support the second level of the building. Steel structure carcass for all the rest of building. Recycled Eco friendly isolation. Fire and waterproof laminated glued plywood sheets.
Ceramic tile as the finish. Well resistant to sudden temperature changes. Practical usage in the case of dust, rain and windstorms.
Well-done unique pattern gives incredible spectacular and aesthetically effect of the building as a solid monument.

There are 3 types of CERAMIC TILE were used in the project.
1. “Precious stones”/ Ambra / Fiandre Maximum.
This tile pattern represents Canyons red rocks
2. “Iron black” / FMG Maxfine.
This tile pattern represents human been involving, solid and strong as a concrete, human made.
3. “Mistero blu” / Iris Hilite
For the water pool and waterfall walls. It represents Colorado River, Mother River of the Desert. Which is the main water supplies of following region. Water sours, the symbol of life.

Another important finish element is glossy (for windows) and matt (for galleries) factory tinted glass, with custom wooden framing, represents the time flow.
Acrylic glass with printed picture of desert plants as a rail handles of the terrace and stairs. It represents surrounding nature and gives to the “Desert Architecture” feelings of green oasis. At the same time very strong and stable construction to be able to pass through the desert dust storm.
Concrete builds into solid Canyons rock. Where the glass is passing through, as the time, through our reality.

Environmental Friendly Details:

Roof Top Rainwater collector.
The rooftop directs the rainwater through special drainage hidden pipes and channels to the special tank. Then water is being filtered and used as technical water supply service. Drinking water and necessary minimum of technical water service comes from the Page city water supply.

Solar activity in desert is very strong. At Canyons Library, we made protruding rooftops, to create well enough shadow protection. At the same time, the space needs to be well enough lighting to work with documents and read. We made many windows with factory-tended glass, for additional protection.
All the rooftops covered by TESLA roof tile, except rooftop terrace.
The roof with hidden solar panels that powers all building with clean, renewable energy. A roof that complements the beauty and costs less than any equivalent roof.

Canyons Library is totally self-energy served.

Co-authors

Daniel Adrian - Artist/Photographer
"Arizona" Masterpiece / Kinetic Art
Main Library Entrance