A library park ( es, parque biblioteca) is a term first used in
Colombia for an urban complex formed by a combination of a
library
A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vir ...
building with ample surrounding
green space for public use. These library parks are strategically located in the periphery of
Medellín, a major Colombian city, to address the need for more cultural and education space and public services in less affluent neighborhoods.
According to the Mayor of Medellín, "The library parks are cultural centers for social development that encourage citizen encounters, educational and recreational activities, building groups, the approach to the new challenges in digital culture. And they are also spaces for cultural services that allow cultural creation and strengthening of existing neighborhood organizations."
The popularity of library parks in Colombia and their success in improving the conditions of outer city neighborhoods has helped spread the idea to other countries in Latin America. Notably,
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...
's
Manguinhos Library Park
Manguinhos Library Park ( pt, Biblioteca-Parque de Manguinhos) is a library and park complex in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The library opened on April 29, 2010. It contains over 25,000 books, 900 DVDs and 3 million songs, and also has a theatre that ...
was inspired by the library parks of Colombia.
Library parks in Colombia
Original sites (2005-2008)
The initial proposal specified five library parks:
*
Spain Library Park/Parque Biblioteca España - Comuna 1 - Popular
*
La Quintana Library Park/Parque Biblioteca Tomás Carrasquilla - Comuna 7 - Robledo
*
León de Greiff Library/La Ladera Parque Biblioteca - Comuna 8 - Villa Hermosa
*
San Javier Library Park/Parque Biblioteca San Javier - Comuna 13 - San Javier
*
Bethlehem Library Park/Parque Biblioteca Belén - Comuna 16 - Belén
Additional sites (2009-2011)
The success of the original proposal prompted five additional library parks, benefiting around 784,000 people from all corners of the city. They join the Public Library System of Medellin and came into use in 2011:
* Library Park Doce de Octubre - Comuna 6 - Doce de Octubre
* Las Estancias Library Park
* Guayabal Library Park - Comuna 15 - Guayabal
* San Cristobal Library Park - Corregimiento de San Cristóbal
* Library Park San Antonio de Prado - Corregimiento de San Antonio de Prado
Architecture
Architects from around the world left their mark on this project, among them
Giancarlo Mazzanti
Giancarlo Mazzanti (born 1963) is a Colombian architect based in Bogota.
Mazzanti was born in Barranquilla, Colombia in 1963. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in architecture from the Pontifical Xaverian University in Bogotá (Pontificia U ...
,
Ricardo La Rotta Caballero, and
Hiroshi Naito.
The special architecture of the
Spain Library Park/Parque Biblioteca España, added to the visit of King Juan Carlos and his wife Queen Sofia, has become a symbol of all library parks. It is a colossal construction sui generis in every way that resembles three fallen rocks or meteorites from space and have become icons that can be recognized from a distance, as well as serving as a fantastic viewpoint of the city. At night, the three "rocks" or buildings light up brightly.
References
{{coord missing, Colombia
Libraries in Colombia
Social issues in Colombia