The building sits on a place where impressive remains of an ancient roman road lie 2,5m below street level. Around the site, fairly severe constructions have been erected after the bombings suffered during WWII.
The library stands at the corner of a busy street and an important square, amid a lively shopping area. It is submitted to urban regulations that require a structure with an expressive roof.
The library is conceived like a pavilion.
As it is transparent and empty on ground level it does not disturb the continuity of the commercial fabric and one enters as if it were a shop. Once inside, one perceives at a glance what is offered here : the reading room can be seen from above, as a whole, since it is sunken to correspond to the level of the roman road. This position creates an effect detachment : the reader, from below, witnesses the active city and at the same time stays at distance, in the calm. As for the roman road, it recovers its historical function, being part of the reading room floor.
The children’s library is covered by the green colored roof, which serves as a counter-point to the urban severity and finds a harmony with the surrounding hills.