Pages of space architecture as narratology

Abstract

Library architecture stands as one of the most dynamic and enduring forms throughout human history. Since the dawn of civilization and scientific inquiry, libraries have persisted in various incarnations. They have functioned as communal hubs, reservoirs of knowledge, embodiments of cultural significance, and pillars of public service. Originally bearing a regal aura, exemplified by the famed Library of Alexandria under Ptolemaic rule, libraries evolved into symbols of national pride before transitioning into civic institutions dedicated to public accessibility and enrichment. Despite periodic declarations of their obsolescence in the face of technological progress, libraries have consistently adapted and revitalized themselves architecturally and technologically, perpetually assuming new forms to remain relevant in changing times as the traditional concept of libraries appears increasingly antiquated, bordering on obsolescence. The post-COVID era has only exacerbated this perception, casting libraries as more of a luxury than an essential resource. In Islamabad, this decline is starkly evident, with libraries experiencing dwindling foot traffic and a general lack of recognition for their value and relevance. These libraries, originally conceived under a modernist framework emphasizing utilitarianism and practicality, now require urgent reconsideration in both global and local contexts. It is imperative to reimagine library architecture to align with contemporary needs and technological advancements, ensuring their continued resonance and utility in the modern age. This thesis underscores the need for a library in the vicinity of Islamabad. It will first understand the utilitarian model of existing library architecture paradigms in Pakistan and will propose a new archetype of literary spaces through the exploration of the pedagogical nexus between narratives, narratology, fictional stories and architecture – primarily ways of tangible expression of the intangibility of literature through the typology of a library. Architecture and the word pose an intrinsic paradox as two separate yet intertwining entities; both exist as forms of expression, one as a tangible reality, the other as an intangible matrix of the mind. Through this we realize a linkage between Bernard Tschumi’s theory of pyramid and labyrinth, the pyramid as the ideal space, and the labyrinth as a layer through in boundlessness, in a realm of imagination to add a conceptual and creative layer to a design, which aligns perfectly with the observational hypothesis and with the program as being a hybrid of function and experience. Therefore, the design will delve into an exploration of the 6 artistic and learning divisions of the phenomenon of the written word, confounding a center that caters to both programmatic groups resultant of the praxis between literature and architecture to create an architecture of holistic, artistic, and meaningful experience subdivided into 2 layers, the base pyramid, and the conceptual labyrinth overlayed. The project grounds itself in philosophical findings and the realm of fiction and narratives to understand the praxis between the two forms of art, and therefore will try to materialize and reimagine a library through the lens of fiction and imagination. The translative medium from narratives to design will be that of abstraction – the creation of abstract spatio-tectonic compositions using the theories and works of W. Kandinsky, Daniel Libeskind and Bernard Tschumi as theoretical underpinnings, the abstractions as the basis of geometry and design. The project will be based on qualitative and quantitative studies of primary and secondary data on the existing literary landscape of Islamabad, the need of the project, and the architectonic translation of these literary genres into a library-esque space and prove the hypothesis of the possible analogies between these two vastly different realms of expression.