Monthly Archives: October 2011

Biblioteca Virgilio Barco. Architect: Rogelio Salmona

by Ares Kalandides

The first time I visited the public library Virgilio Barco was in 2008. At the time, I knew little about Bogotá and nothing about Colombian architects. What surprised me was not only the architecture, an open building with light pouring in from everywhere, but the large number of people who were using it. It took me some time to realize that the building was more than just a library: it was public space – clean, secure public space – a rare quality in many parts of the city. Later I was told that the architect of the library was Rogelio Salmona, probably one of the most important architects of Colombia. In my following trips to Bogotá, I began discovering one by one this amazing system of libraries, called the BiblioRed (library network) that comprises 4 major, 6 local, 10 neighbourhood libraries and one mobile bus-library. The major libraries (including the Virgilio Barco library) are in public parks and have an average floor plan of 10,000 m2 each with space for approximately 600 reading places. Though not part of the BiblioRed network, I should not forget to mention the important library of the Banco de la República Luis Angel Arango, situated in the very heart of the colonial centre La Candelaria and very close to the Cultural Center Gabriel García Márquez, designed again by Rogelio Salmona for the Fondo de Cultura Economica in Mexico. Continue reading →