The Hub of Books · Competition Design
Kitaab Kendar
A Community Built Around Knowledge
Kitaab Kendar, or “The Hub of Books,” was conceived as a library and community center for Trashigang, Bhutan, bringing learning, shared activity, and passive architectural design together on one site.
Created collaboratively for the Tiny Library 2023 Design Competition, the proposal brings three distinct buildings together around a central courtyard. The shared outdoor space encourages circulation between the library, greenhouse and community garden, and school and lecture hall, while also offering a gathering place for public events.
Collaborative design competition proposal · Tiny Library 2023
Three Spaces, One Shared Purpose
Circulation, hierarchy, and passive design shaped the relationship between the three structures and the courtyard that unites them.
The roofs were conceived to manage sunlight or capture rainwater throughout the year. Changes in elevation establish a journey through the site, while the distinct windows and roof forms reinterpret the hierarchy and visual language of traditional Bhutanese architecture.
The library uses an open, symmetrical plan with shared reading areas and a stone-floored mezzanine. The greenhouse and garden invite visitors to grow and maintain plants and herbs; the school and lecture hall provide spaces for children to learn and study with access to the library's resources. Locally sourced materials and warm red and brown tones reinforce the proposal's cultural and environmental aims.
Individual roof profiles, timber details, and carefully framed openings give each building its own identity while retaining a common architectural language across the complex.
Explore More
More from Lumiere Arc
Explore our portfolio of architecture, design, and visualization work.
View All Projects