Biblioteca Sitges

Competition

First Prize in an open competition among 86 proposals.

A new library is carved into the edge between Avinguda de Vilafranca and Can Robert Park, transforming a fragmented condition into a continuous urban landscape. Organised as a series of platforms adapted to the natural topography, the project unfolds across levels while preserving the linear park and extending its continuity towards the historic farmhouse beyond. More than an isolated building, the library becomes an extension of city and landscape. The Library and Historic Archive are brought together within a single structure that begins in a new public square — a threshold where urban life, park and programme converge. From here, the project develops as a sequence of connected spaces, shifting from collective uses to quiet reading areas shaped by light, voids and continuity. At its highest point, a slender institutional tower acts as a contemporary urban marker, giving the project presence within the city. The jury, which included Benedetta Tagliabue, awarded First Prize to the proposal for its sensitive response to the site’s topography, seamless accessibility, and strong relationship with the surrounding park while maintaining a controlled environmental footprint. Particular praise was given to the clarity of the interior organisation, the calm atmosphere of the reading rooms, and the coherent integration of shared spaces between the Library and Archive. From an environmental perspective, the building’s compact form and strategic orientation enable efficient natural lighting and low-energy climate control, reinforcing the project’s overall sustainability.