An architecture firm is transforming literacy in Java with strikingly innovative micro-libraries, blending playful designs and climate-responsive features to offer respite from the tropical heat, according to GNN.
Envisioned as an excellent way to increase literacy, these structures attract children with the designs who then get to enjoy a reading environment that inspires imagination and creativity. Dutch/German firm SHAU employs local materials alongside centuries-old passive cooling principles from the islands’ kingdoms, effectively shaving several degrees from the tropical air.
Techniques like shading, cross ventilation, and leveraging the principle that air speeds up and chills down when forced through small openings create comfortable reading spaces for young learners. Since 2012, eight such libraries have been completed across Indonesia. FSC-certified wood and lightweight concrete feature heavily, but SHAU’s creativity shines in unconventional material choices.
The facade of the Bima microlibrary in Bandung incorporates 2,000 locally-produced, recycled ice cream tubs with the bottoms cut out. This ingenious solution provides transparency and airflow, delivering a mixture of reading light, shade, and breeze to visitors.
Similarly, the Warak Kayu microlibrary in central Java stands on stilts to channel breezes underneath, while its interior features a rope net floor, further enhancing the playful learning atmosphere.
By creating inviting, imaginative spaces in underserved communities, the libraries serve as vibrant educational hubs. The partnership behind these structures aims to sustain this momentum for the next two decades, targeting a total of 100 micro-libraries across Indonesia.
