雷瓦拉科姆图书馆丨坦桑尼亚桑给巴尔丨Parallel Studio

Architects:Parallel Studio

Area:100m²

Year:2025

Lead Architects:Mai Al Busairi - PARALLEL STUDIO - Kuwait

Category:Library

Technical Team:Alyaa Al Roomi

City:Zanzibar

Country:Tanzania

Text description provided by the architects. Lei Wa Lakom Library is the second realized project within the Parallel Gives program, led by Architect Mai Al Busairi- Kuwait, demonstrating how modest, socially driven architecture can create enduring cultural and educational impact through climate-responsive and context-aware design.

Located in Kazole Village, Zanzibar, the library emerges within a rural setting shaped by strong community ties, a hot-humid climate, and limited access to educational infrastructure. Following the completion of Mariam's Library, this project continues the program's mission to deliver small-scale civic spaces that respond carefully to local environmental and cultural conditions. The client brief called for an accessible, welcoming library that could serve children and the wider community as both an educational resource and a social gathering space. Key challenges included maintaining thermal comfort without mechanical systems, ensuring durability with limited resources, and creating a sense of openness while preserving safety and privacy.

The architectural concept is rooted in lightness, adaptability, and human scale. Drawing from Swahili architectural traditions, the design emphasizes shaded spaces, cross-ventilation, and visual permeability to create a naturally comfortable environment. Rather than imposing a rigid boundary between interior and exterior, the building blurs these thresholds, reinforcing accessibility and a strong relationship with its surroundings. The form is simple and legible, allowing the library to be easily understood and embraced by the community.

Material selection and construction strategies reflect both environmental sensitivity and local familiarity. A timber structural system with exposed framing expresses material honesty and ease of assembly, aligning with commonly understood building techniques. The envelope is defined by perforated opaque corrugated panels that filter daylight while allowing air movement, producing a soft, changing interior atmosphere throughout the day. The roof extends beyond the building's perimeter to provide shade and protection from heavy rainfall, reinforcing the library's climatic responsiveness. An integrated water feature, symbolically associated with life and knowledge within Islamic tradition, complements the environmental strategy while adding cultural depth to the spatial experience.

Internally, the library is intentionally non-hierarchical and flexible. Low furniture, open floor areas, and adaptable zones accommodate reading, learning, discussion, and communal activities, particularly for children. This spatial openness allows the library to evolve with its users rather than prescribe a single mode of occupation.

As the second library following Mariam's Library, Lei Wa Lakom Library strengthens a growing network of educational spaces across Zanzibar, demonstrating how thoughtful architectural interventions can foster learning, belonging, and long-term community resilience.

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