Competition for design of a new building of the Pencho Slaveykov Regional Library in the city of Varna. This competition has been organized on the initiative of Varna Municipality and the Chamber of Architects in Bulgaria.The new building of Varna Regional Library would be the first library to be built in Bulgaria for the last 30 years.

 

The Varna Pencho Slaveykov Regional Library was founded by the “Varna Book Club” in 1883, with donations from prominent citizens. It was named “Varna Municipal Library” in 1887. Since 1945, the library has been a repository for Bulgarian national literature, one of only 12 in the country. 

Presently, the library functions as a modern cultural and information center, and initiates a number of annual events like the Marathon of the Reading People” and “Vacation in the Library”, as well as projects such as “Old Varna” and “Varna Digital Library”. At the end of 2014, the library held a collection of 698 585 books, 68 853 serials, 15 303 written music, and 92 331 non-booksmaterials. The library has 9 340 membership card readers. 

Rarding organizers request this competition aims that the future building should demonstrate contemporary attitude to books and have one major message: 

“We are a modern, open and friendly institution. Come to spend your free time with us”. 

 

Main goals for new Varna library building: 

To create an entirely new public space in the city
To offer new and adaptive environment for reading and learning
To collect in one building the scattered fund of 866 000 library items of Varna Regional Library and to secure additional space for 400 000 new
To provide for a comfortable working process of all traditional library activities
To become an attractive place and a good alternative to spend your free time, even for people who don’t traditionally use libraries
To become a successfully integrated part of the neighboring urban fabric and to offer a distinct architectural identity at the same time