Students from the St. Petersburg State University of Civil Engineering visited a rural library in the Kingisepp district, which is awaiting a new life.
On December 14, 2023, a group of students from the Department of Architectural Design of the St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering (SPbGASU) visited the Pustomerzha Rural Library, which is located in the village of Bolshaya Pustomerzha in the Kingisepp district. The visit was the second stage of the Second Competition of Design Projects for Libraries in the Leningrad Region, organized by the Leningrad Regional Universal Scientific Library (LOUNB), SPbGASU and the International Golden Trezzini Awards. The aim of the competition is to create modern and functional interiors for several libraries in the region.
The students also visited the local history museum, where they learned about the rich history and culture of the area. The village of Bolshaya Pustomerzha has a long history, dating back to the Middle Ages, when it was mentioned in the Account Book of the Vodskaya Pyatina in 1500. In 1704, the Swedes marked it on their map as Pustamersie. In 1849, P.I. Koeppen noted in his ethnographic map of the St. Petersburg province that Ingrian Savakots and Russians lived in the village.
The library was founded in 1898 by Prince Vladimir Obolensky and his father-in-law Alexander Weimar, who also established a charitable society, a shelter and a school at the local church. The library is currently housed in a dilapidated building and needs repair and reconstruction.
The students will have to develop design projects for the library, taking into account its historical and cultural heritage, as well as the needs of modern readers. The winner of the competition will be announced in 2024, and their project may be implemented in the future.
You can find more information about the student competition of design projects for libraries in the Leningrad region on the website http://libraryspace.ru/.
All pictures from the trip are here: http://libraryspace.ru/14122023-photo/
More news of the Golden Trezzini Awards:
https://goldtrezzini.ru/en/news/
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