Add a review about the library of Alvar Aalto

The Central City Library of Vyborg is named after the famous Finnish architect Alvar Aalto, who designed the building in which it is located. This is the only building in Russia created by Aalto, and its peculiarity consists in the fact that all the subtleties of the library and the processes taking place inside the book storage were taken into account in the design.

The construction of the Alvar Aalto library was conducted from 1933 to 1935. The fact that the city needs a building that could function as a library, it was discussed back in the 1920s, and in 1927 a contest was held, after which a young architect Aalto was appointed responsible for the project.

After the rich resident of Vyborg Maria Lalluka leave the city had a decent amount of money to build the library, all the ideas came into play, and after a while the library of Alvar Aalto found the world glory of the ideal library building! The talented architect was very attentive to the project, taking into account in the course of its development the most important details of the room in which the books live.

Library Alvar Aalto found the world fame of an ideal library building, because during the design of the building all the subtleties of the library and processes inside the repository of books

Characteristic features of the library Alvar Aalto

The architectural style in which the library is built is a mixture of modernism with Finnish functionalism, the so-called "organic architecture" . The Finnish architect was opposed to everything artificial, so even the exterior decoration at the building is special: Alvar Aalto refused to use paints and laid out the facade with a soapstone.

The features inherent in Aalto's style are noticeable everywhere: the ceiling of the reading room, running in waves, or the lack of windows in walls intended for bookshelves. Surprising are the round windows in the roof, a thin system of reflections that do not let direct sunlight pass (from which books burn out), but fill the halls with a cozy light. Even the drawings of chairs and banquettes were designed by the architect himself: in his idea, it is more convenient for the reader to sit on chairs whose armrests are smoothly passing into the legs.

There is a less likely version that the prototype for this miracle of architecture was the packing for chicken eggs - with a hint of round windows from the roof. Another library is called a "house without windows" - there are really no windows, so that the walls are occupied by shelves of books that burn out from the light.

Aalto saw the future of libraries in their openness to visitors. Everything is thought out so that any book can be removed from the shelf on its own. Railings regulate the reader's streams, unobtrusively indicating where to go. In addition, here, for the first time in Russia, the children's reading room was combined with an adult. And at the registration desk a wide basket is kept, in which previously there were bundles of wrapping paper, into which each book was wrapped up each book.

They say that this library has its own special atmosphere, which is woven from book smells and sounds, from the silence and rustle of pages, from magic light and human whispers. The library and its history are inseparable from the historical heritage of Vyborg, together they have experienced joyful and difficult times, falls and ups.

Vyborg Library Alvar Aalto

Library History

Because of wars, the building suffered and was closed, stood for a long time out of employment. Book storages also suffered: first some books were replaced with others, then many were completely lost. Only in 1961 the building was restored, but, alas, without taking into account the author's drawings, and sometimes even purposely contradicting them. But, despite all the difficulties, in 1961 the doors of the Alvar Aalto library were again opened to the townspeople and it was given the status of the central city library.

The collection of books collected in the library of Alvar Aalto is also very special. Here is an impressive collection of local history literature, which was created on the basis of a fund donated by the library of the Finnish city of Lappeenranta. This collection includes wonderful books about Vyborg and Karelia in many languages ​​of the world

In 2011-2013 . there was a major restoration of the library, during which it was possible to save and recreate everything exactly as I saw it many years ago Alvar Aalto . It is noteworthy that when reconstructing the façade materials from the same firms that supplied them for building the library in the 30s . were used. Such thoroughness is not accidental: at the time the library building was built, it stepped so forward on its her era, which today looks very modern and makes a huge impression .It is not only one of the best libraries in Russia, but also a beautiful architectural monument under the protection of the state .

How to get to

Address: Russia, Leningrad Region, Vyborg, Suvorova Avenue, 4 .

From Vyborg railway and bus station to the library, you can walk on Leningradsky Prospekt before crossing with Lenin Avenue, then turn left, along Lenin Avenue to the intersection with Suvorov Avenue, turn right: the library is located on the Esplanade Park

Clock work: 11: 00-19: 00, Saturday - 12: 00-17: 00, Sunday - the day off.

The library is free of charge, the cost of the excursion in Russian is 50 RUB, the cost of the excursion in English for the group is 2500 RUB.

Contact telephones (faxes): (81378) 2-20-90, (81378) 2- 49-37.

Website: http://aalto.vbgcity.ru/