3rd 4 allHow to create a relevant

public space -gesprekspartners

Diana Ghirardo, hoogleraar architecteuur LA

A third place should be open from 6 a.m. until midnight.

Beware of a jarring disconnection between the needs of local people and the artistic vision of those in charge.

Sometimes you want a simple casual space in the city that isn’t programmed.

Matthias Hollwich,architect in New York

Vraag: As we get older, should our private place shrink but public space increase?

Hollwich: Absolutely. We have forgotten public spaces are an amazing social mixer.

Designed well, they can become social glue for neighbours, passers-by and tourists.

Spaces have been eaten up by pure logistics, transport systems for cars, or things designed to look beautiful.

Hollwich: When we think about what’s good for our society, and use this to design things differently, a public space can become an instrument that makes aging much better.

Kristin Danielsen - directeur Arts Council of Norway

Aat Vos and I have worked a lot on these issues. The library should feel as a place of one’s own. Still, it is not a home. Not work, nor school.

A library is a public sphere, but we don’t just pass through like we do out on the streets. We sit down for a while. Perhaps we talk to a stranger. learn something new.

This is why we need libraries with an informal design and with zones for things to happen, but still these spaces should feel very secure.

Of course, a library is not an arena for amusement. The main task for libraries remains knowledge, Danielsen beliefs.

‘It’s what they have to stick to. In addition, the need to become increasingly relevant and better at presentation and curation. Like an exhibition space.’

Aga Skorupka, Noors psycholoog

Engagement is primarily about the urge to explore. This is a human need. And libraries play into this urge well.

They create a true environment for making discoveries. Because of the physical environment, but also because of the content, the books and other materials.

In the library you can have fun and can go on an adventure. We all like to be challenged to do something, to experience something.

Winy Maas, architect (van o.a. de Markthal, R’dam)

The Market Hall appeals to a certain grandeur. The building offers a glimpse of future cities. People feel a need for these kinds of monuments. They want recognizable landmarks in the city, buildings beyond imagination. I think part of us all wants to escape mediocrity. We need icons as a warning against too many compromises. Icons transcend the banal, they guide us, give us direction.

Eric van der Kooij, urban designer

Take the library, for instance. That is a wonderful tool for integration. Everybody comes there, rich and poor. You share enthusiasm and knowledge, without it being about money.

These are the kinds of places that matter. Libraries, parks, squares, cultural venues … those are the things come to the city for and why they want to stay there.

Evelien van Veen, architect

Van Veen also designs theatres and libraries in urban environments.

In cities, people want more of an extension of their living room. Take School 7, the new library in Den Helder.

We designed the interior and the exterior.

It has become a nice place where people feel at ease, with windows and seats everywhere. There is space between the bookcases, so you can look out. That surprises people and makes them proud of all the things their city has to offer. Everyone has his favourite place. People love to come back here.

Julia Bergman, adviseur uit Bremen/Würzburg

You should not only work with people from the library world. For our tower, for instance, the team is made up of people from the innovation centre and the library, a designer, but also people from the municipality who are responsible for the

building. It is always good to have different mind-sets in the team. That way, people will keep asking each other questions. For a librarian, it is utterly clear why libraries are important. But someone with a different perspective can question this, and see the relevance of the library on a whole different level. So everyone is encouraged to rethink certain ideas and opinions. Then you get real innovation.

Joseph Pine, auteur ‘The Experience Economy”

Customers want to have memorable experiences.

Virtual reality is going to be a game changer.

Work is theatre.

You need experiences so engaging that customers can’t help but pay attention, hang around with you and then buy your offering a s result. So, start performing and make people come in and spend time with you.

Karim Rashid, designer

Designers humanize our physical and virtual world. At home, at work and in third places. They simply make the environment more human. So design is crucial to vitalize a place. But design is more than colours and forms. I think we need a 360-degree vision of design: from urban development to brand graphics, and from fragrances to music. A good third place is a sensorial space where everything is in sync.

Rob Bruynzeels, bibliothecaris

It is important that you remain true to yourself. The library’s existence begins and ends with the collection.

That is what you manage, what you make available to people, what you present them with; the collection is what you use to inspire people with stories and information that is relevant to them. So, as a library, the core essence is making a connection with people and letting them experience the value of the collection.

Sergio Dogliani, Idea Store in London

When we created our own version of a third place, it was based on research saying people liked a retail environment, where you feel well-treated, everything

works and you can spend a few hours. That’s why we put the best design and customer experience from the commercial sector into a public setting, not the old-fashioned public service that tended to be quite abrupt.

I am inspired by pubs that serve more than their commercial function, that are a positive part of the community.

Reinert Mithassel, bibliothecaris uit Oslo

All day long we stare at the screens of our phones. To counteract this we need to connect physically to people, to step out of virtual space and experience real social relationships in physical space. If we don’t do this, life will become one-dimensional.

Many people simply don’t know where to start a conversation and what they might talk about. This requires librarians to take on a different role, to be more pro-active

and forthcoming. … that we as a library, facilitate conversations between visitors.

Erik Boekesteijn, bibliothecaris

The purpose is to meet and have a conversation with others. Success hinges on having a safe space to go and relax, opportunities to share stories and knowledge, being open to like-minded people and to those who are different. In this third place you should be able to lounge and game, to learn or create something new.

These elements are catalysts for interaction.

It’s hard to inspire yourself in your own familiar surroundings. By going out, meeting other people in an uplifting space and sharing experiences and ideas, you become inspired. It creates a social structure, gives you a sense of belonging.

Marleen Stikker, De Waag Amsterdam

We will create a Fab Lab in every public library in Amsterdam.

A makerspace where people learn how to work with new technologies like 3-D printing and virtual reality. People can conduct their own experiments there, and design and make things.

The spaces are inviting and a little rough around the edges, like a modern handicrafts classroom; you can really get to work here. With a certain decor, you can definitely attract and inspire people.

Ronald van den Hoff, Seats2Meet

Here, people can meet and help each other grow stronger.

We combine an old-fashioned cash flow with a social capital flow.

Third places are about shared ownership.

Saskia Sassen, socioloog

People need to feel that they belong.

Governments have an important role to play in freeing up these unassuming third places for everyone.

Some spaces are very intimidating to some social classes. In a city you need spaces where nobody takes notice, and you know that nobody takes notice.

Marcelo Sabino, museumdirecteur Rio de Janeiro

The museum has been one of the key drivers in the redevelopment of a previously neglected neighbourhood.

We want to ignite a spark of inspiration in people.

Neighbours have a special museum card and can participate in various educational programmes.