Villanueva Public Library

The construction of the Villanueva Public Library in Columbia tells as great a story as the books it holds. An effort in local creativity, resources, skills and atonement, the project became more than a structure. It became a space to work out local conflict. It became a revolutionary, a peace maker. The building process attracted attention and many former outlaw militants joined the workforce as “reinserted” civilians. Arch Daily has included a simple but inspiring recollection of the process, suggesting the power of architecture to change of people and communities.

'If sustainable buildings can be understood as the resourceful result from the use of local materials, local workforce, economical restrictions, climatic particularities and a projected low maintenance, the Public Library for the tropical city of Villanueva in Colombia can be understood as such.'

'More than housing books, the function offered by the library opens up spaces to rewrite the local history.'

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