Library of Belonging (Reimagining the Concept of Library)

This thesis explores the evolving role of the library in contemporary society, reimagining it not merely as a repository of books but as a dynamic cultural and social infrastructure. Grounded in Gaston Bachelard’s The Poetics of Space and its notions of intimacy, memory, and spatial imagination, the project investigates how architecture can transform the library into a “home-like” environment that nurtures belonging, reflection, and collective interaction. The study critically examines conventional library typologies and identifies their limitations in addressing current urban realities—digital information flows, declining readership, and the need for inclusive, accessible community spaces. Case studies of regional and international libraries were analyzed to extract strategies of spatial flexibility, programmatic hybridity, and atmosphere-making. Through architectural form, materiality, and landscape integration, the thesis emphasizes warmth, adaptability, and human-centered design. Ultimately, the project argues that the future library must move beyond storage and scholarship to become an urban living room—an architecture of resonance, where unread stories, unspoken dialogues, and unseen communities find a place of expression.