To encourage interaction between young and old residents of the neighbourhood, the project is a community library and reading room as well as eight rooms for student housing. The front half of a 1960s private residence was retained and renovated; the back half was demolished and six student rooms were newly built, and the new library is located between the old and new sections in the form of an atrium whose walls house the collection of 35,000 books. All of the old and new spaces are planned vertically to maximise the use of space. The new structure is in reinforced concrete with concrete block infill; the library bookshelves are made from galvanised iron usually employed for exterior fencing.
Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture
