In 2020, a new self-service library was opened in Nekala, Tampere in Finland. The library is built with Adapteo’s flexible building units and is a true burst of color and life both on the inside and the outside.
Adapteo’s adaptable buildings show their versatility
The Nekala library in Tampere used to be located on the premises of Nekala school, until unfortunately due to indoor air problems the whole school, including the library, had to be closed in 2017. Pirkko Lindberg, Director of the Tam- pere Library and Citizens’ College Unit, had previously heard about adaptable buildings that had been used as libraries in other countries, and at the end of 2018, she proposed such an alternative to the Tampereen Tilapalvelut, which is the property management company of the City of Tampere. They immediately began researching the idea in more detail, and eventually chose the solution provided by Adapteo. Once the decision was made, and Adapteo was selected as partner and supplier of the facilities, the delivery was quick. The premises of the Nekala library are 110 m2 in size and the rental period is set at five years.
After deciding on the type of building, together with an architect that was part of the project, it was time to start looking at how this building could be made into a cosy library for everyone. An important idea early on in the project was to create a library that would feel like the visitors’ own living room – this was done by for example bringing big armchairs and carpets to soften the atmosphere. The unique and colorful interior design was co-created together with local architecture students as a competition. The owl mural on the wall is also a result of the competition.
"The library is the living room of the people. This was already said in the early 1990s. But then why do they often look like offices? I wouldn’t want to step on the gray plastic floor in my home and sit in an uncomfortable standard supplier chair at a white table. I also want life at home and at the same time a little home in the library space." – Pirkko Lindberg, Head of Tampere Library and Citizens’ College Unit.
The new library is set up in the same location as the previous school. The library, which opened in the autumn of 2020, is a so-called self-service library. This means there is no full-time staff there, and visitors enter with their library card and PIN code. Adapteo’s adaptable buildings are well known to be used as schools and daycares, and the Nekala library is the first library built this way in Finland. The new library has been very well welcomed by the residents of the area. It has become their very own multi-purpose space: school groups visit the library, school children come to the library after school to do their homework, people come and read magazines there daily. It is an important part of the everyday life of the people in the community and has become an extra living room for the residents in the area. Thanks to Adapteo’s adaptable building the city of Tampere was able to keep the library in the area and continue to be an important educational and cultural part of the community.
The interior of Nekala’s modular library uses wooden surfaces that bring color and warmth, creating a homely feel.
Colorful and playful furniture fits into the new library.
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