Dat is nog eens frontaal presenteren

Meer frontaal presenteren, daar is vrijwel iedereen het wel over eens in bibliotheekland. In Japan deed men die ontdekking al een aantal jaren geleden.
Op de site van de IEAAU (Institute for East Asian Architecture and Urbanism) zag ik een prachtige bibliotheek voor prentenboeken in Iwaki City in Japan. Het gebouw, ontworpen door Tadao Ando, werd het gebouw van de maand in april 2006.

Een fragment van de betreffende site:

“A step in the direction of more light in our educational institutions is the Library of Picture Books in Iwaki City of Fukushima Prefecture by Tadao Ando. Here the overall atmosphere is bright, transparent, airy; nearly from any point inside the library one has a view over green closeby and over the ocean far away; no dust on or inside the books; from the walls with open bookshelves up to the ceiling every book is quasi laughing at you. This organization of the books in their individual cubicles seems to echo the structure of our human memory in the brain. In this library bright colours and funny forms and figures surround you everywhere. I am sure there is no sign, don’t laugh, anywhere. An atmosphere of playfulness, not awe or indoctrination, is the hallmark of this new paradigm of educational facility: it is new in content, and new in outer form. Admittedly this is a library for children’s books, picture books from all over the world, donated from a private collection. But to my mind it moves away from the established classical paradigm of what a library was and what it should look like. The library with various flights of stairs give children ample space to withdraw to their favourite corner and read, go to places to play together or to places to look outside and just dream. This library allows free movement, yes, breathes a sense of freedom. It does not need wardens to enforce rules. It is meant and designed as a domain of innocence, playfulness and joy.”

Prachtig zo’n kinderbibliotheek en wat een frontale presentatie, hoewel ik me wel afvraag hoe kinderen ooit een boek van de bovenste plank kunnen pakken, maar een mooi en aantrekkelijk interieur is het in ieder geval.