OLD BUILDINGS NEW SPACES: HOW TO ORGANIZE AN ACADEMIC LIBRARY IN AN ANCIENT BUILDING.

This project arises from the need to conform to safety regulations four spaces very different from each other: the Social Sciences Periodicals Library, the Geography Department Library, the Geography Museum, and -- for the next five to seven years -- the Library of Economics. The library should in fact be transferred in the building of the Department of Economics, now under Restoration. These libraries are set in adjoining historical buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries, overlooking one of the oldest streets in Padova. The safety requirements called for a radical rethinking of library space arrangement, which has to match the needs of different types of public, and the relationship with the new little Geography Museum. In order to satisfy the needs of a diverse audience, the space has been rearranged with an approach similar to that found in public libraries, and adjusted according to different users' needs. Every space is flexible thanks to adaptable furniture, and the reading rooms can be used for workshops, lectures and exhibitions. The aim of this project is to meet the different needs of the audience (scholars, students and school kids) in a safe environment, adding value to the historical buildings where such spaces are situated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]