A new library in Casanera, Colombia shows us what humankind might have built with sticks and stones if they'd never discovered bricks, steel, and electricity. The Villanueva Public Library was built on a modest budget, designed by a bunch of university students in Bogota. And instead of importing fancy, expensive materials, builders used local timber and stones from nearby rivers to lower transportation costs. Then, instead of hiring experienced construction workers, they trained local people to build it.


The building consists of 32,000 square feet including a reading room, an auditorium, a children's library, offices, and open space for hanging out.


From the outside, it looks like a giant pile of stones or firewood. Images by Nicolas Cabrera

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Villanueva Public Library, Colombia [Dezeen]