New school library in the lobby of Miha Pintar Toledo Velenje Primary School.

The school has a new library in the lobby. We wanted the space to remain airy and light, so we did not close the new library up to the top, but only to the height of the cupboards, and softened the corner and drove it towards the atrium. The round wooden windows are at different heights, inviting you to see what’s going on in the library. There are wooden frames between the windows with various encouraging messages. We have managed to incorporate most of the old library’s furnishings into the interior. Next to the windows, which offer a beautiful view of the inner green atrium, we played with the reading corner, which is organised as an open, dynamic system of bookshelves with three upholstered frames for sitting/reading.

It should be mentioned that such ambient solutions are only feasible in the case of synergistic cooperation between the client and the designers, where an understanding of the roles in the project and a genuine relationship between the actors play an important role. The school’s wish and need to reorganise certain areas due to the increased number of pupils and the resulting space constraints offered an alternative location for the library in the school lobby. A light and airy space that was perfect for the architectural challenge, blending elements of childlike playfulness and the reverence of an educational institution, without the school lobby losing its character and functionality.