Biblioteca e Cidade: Asplund e Siza

Abstract

This dissertation comparatively analyses two landmark works of European architecture: Gunnar Asplund's Stockholm Public Library and Álvaro Siza's Municipal Library of Viana do Castelo. Despite their different historical, cultural and geographical contexts, both libraries share a profound refection on the role of architecture in the construction of the city, in relation to public space and in the afirmation of the building as a civic place. The research focuses on aspects such as urban layout, volumetry, materiality, light, interior spatiality and layout, seeking to understand the conceptual afinities and formal contrasts between the two proposals. While Asplund designs a monumental landmark that organises the block and stands out as an urban symbol, Siza opts for subtle integration, extending the logic of the historical fabric and linking the building to the riverfront. A cross-reading reveals different design strategies which, although divergent in expression, converge on a common principle: architecture as a gesture of belonging, mediation and continuity, capable of translating universal values into unique responses to the place.