The Book Stop Project: Creating Public Spaces as Platforms for Cultural Resilience
One cannot measure the success of civic infrastructure by the quantity of facilities provided, but by the number of people they have served and helped.
Acity is best showcased by its physical features and design. It is a collective field of forces continuously organizing itself and constantly in movement. Each city has its unique combination of modalities and ever-changing composition experienced by the people who live there or visit them. Public spaces are where transformative changes happen through citizen-driven plans, designs, and amenities. The collaboration demonstrates different ways of living, thinking, and acting. When done with purpose, it can develop a culturally resilient community.
The Book Stop Project is an example of a project that aims to enrich the lives of people as well as establish cultural resiliency. Created by William Ti, Jr., Principal Architect at WTA Architecture and Design Studio, he described it as “an urban initiative that reimagines how we can make libraries relevant in today’s society. It is about architecture that is socially relevant. It is an architecture that promotes reading, sharing, and honesty.”
The studio started the Book Stop Project in 2016. As a pop-up public library network, it explores how libraries need to evolve to engage with and attract contemporary users. Apart from promoting reading to the next generation, it also aims to galvanize communities by creating community events where people can interact and share ideas with each other.
In terms of its architecture and design, WTA Architecture and Design Studio made sure to create something interesting and full of character. The Book Stop structure had its own identity. It became a portal that symbolizes a new world of wonder, ideas, and stories. Because it was attractive, it encouraged passers-by to check it out. People and books were kept safe under a roof with shelves and built-in seating that was supported by seven irregularly-shaped frames of varying sizes, creating an interesting spiral effect.
As champions for social change, WTA continues to build on a values-driven portfolio exploring and searching for new ideas in order to rally to a wider audience. Through ongoing civic and infrastructure projects, the studio will provide communities with more thoughtfully designed public spaces, with the purpose of enriching people and strengthening their growth and development locally.
What are the next steps? Read more about this noble project by downloading BluPrint’s latest E-Mag , Vol.1 2022 via Readily, Magzter, Zinio, and Press Reader.
Photo credits: WTA ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN STUDIO
