Lázaro Carreter Public Library

Lázaro Carreter Public Library serves the small town of Villanueva de la Cañada, just west of Madrid. Architecturally, it is composed of three parts. Adjacent to the entrance is a star-shaped children's library, which sits in its own sunken play area. The distinctive roof is supported by a central column. On the other side of the entrance is the main reading room. It is rectangular on plan, and arranged on several levels, all linked by long ramps. These ramps take the length of the main volume to raise the visitor by half a level and are organised around a central, rectangular well. The scissor-like formation of the ramps is echoed in the roof of this reading room which comprises of two split planes sloping in opposite directions, with the vertical spaces between them infilled by glazing. As if this wasn't dramatic enough, the upper half of this vessel, including the soffits of the roof are all clad with brick. A small, sunken, glazed reading room completes the composition.