Animated library for a gallerist

Situated in a spacious bourgeois apartment from turn of XIX and XX centuries, the library is in its form an effect of long discussions on how to conciliate functionalyy requirement of fitting an imposing collection of books,films, postcards, posters, maps, different collector parafrenalia, a workdesk, mediacenter, meetingspace with an intresting, not obvious aesthetics. Finally we agreed on a "layered compressor" taking less than half of available floor space accompanied by around 8 metres of regular bookshelves. Compressor is a platform raised 92cm above the floor standing on sliding compartments that contain various size sub-collections, from post stamps to A0 posters. Upper level of the platform is dedicated to u-shaped work desk. The owner seems both to guests entering the room and people living on the other side of narrow courtyard a sort of captain placed above the rest of the world in his cockpit. The library is made out of "carpenter board"- a rough layered plywood finished with transparent lackquer and partially, in workspace zone, with gray-brown semi-matte color taken from a very inspiring reference delivered by the client, being a tasty piece of Italian female underwear.

2010

Author: Jakub Szczęsny
Cabinet maker: Marek Tkaczyk, Plastech
Photos: Simone De Iacobis