Int. Libr. Rev. (1970) 2,499-506

INTAMEL MEETING, JAPAN, 1970 AREA STUDIES

(2) New Kyoto Prefectural Library Buildingt

On 15 November 1963 the citizens of Kyoto City and Kyoto Prefecture had a public library worthy of this city’s world-wide reputation as one of the world’s historic centres of cultural tradition. As long ago as 1937 enlargement of the old building, built at Okazaki Park in 1909, had been contemplated, but the war years halted this renovation. Soon after the war’s end it became obvious that the facilities were totally inadequate to Kyoto’s needs, and as part of the platform on which he campaigned in the Kyoto elections of 1957, the Governor of Kyoto Prefecture promised the construction of an entirely new prefectural library. The needs had become increasingly obvious, for in the 53 years since the founding of the original library building, the books and even more so the library patrons had increased in number to the point where no amount of shifting of books and elimination of exhibit rooms for extra shelf-space would efficiently meet today’s demands. This chal- lenge was taken up by administrative officials of the Kyoto Prefectural Office and the staff of the Kyoto Prefectural Library came up with a dynamic and forward-looking plan for the new library which would not only serve as a repository for books, but, in keeping with Kyoto’s rich cultural heritage, would serve as a museum to preserve and display the cultural materials and treasures of that heritage.

The location for the new building-in the northeastern part of the city, near the Botanic Gardens-appears to be an excellent site. Though conveniently situated near public transportation lines the location is a quiet and peaceful one with a clear view of the surrounding pine-covered hills which are Kyoto’s ageless fame and pride. The nearby presence of some of the great universities of the city adds to the auspiciousness of the site. In addition to this, construction has begun on a large international conference hall (Kokuritsu Kokusai Kaikan) which is envisaged as for world-wide conferences and assemblies.

‘f Hangi-cho, Shimogamo, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan.

500 NEW KYOTO PREFECTURAL LIBRARY BUILDING

PURPOSE AND FUNCTION OF THE NEW LIBRARY

The library collects, arranges and preserves books, periodicals, pam- phlets, leaflets, photos, pictures, maps, films, slides, filmstrips, records, music scores and recording tapes which are of a general interest, as well as materials and documents which particularly relate to Kyoto, its history, culture, customs, products and human resources. In addition to being an information centre for library patrons, local and distant, Japanese and foreign, it will have as one of its missions co-operation in various fields of research with public offices, universities, schools, corporations and institutions of all kinds.

Besides so-called library materials, we arrange and preserve non-book materials concerning the local manners and customs, industrial and handicraft exhibits, famous collections of historical and cultural treasures in Kyoto, and other displays.

BASIC DESIGN OF THE LIBRARY

This provides for: adoption of the subject departmentalization system; the creation of an exhibit room for the display of items concerning the history, customs, and products of Kyoto; the consultation of audio- visual materials; a study room for junior and senior high school students; a 500,000 volume capacity for books and a seating capacity of 1300.

SPECIAL FEATURES OF THE NEW LIBRARY PLAN

Though the stack room is frequently located in the basement of public libraries, this room is not so located in the new Kyoto Prefectural Library due to the fact that Kyoto is located in a shallow round valley with a relatively high rainfall, and therefore the ensuing dampness would make below-ground-level construction unwise. Instead, the stack room, with two levels, is located on the first floor, under the main read- ing room in order to facilitate the delivery of books.

The plan envisages a courtyard in the centre of the building. On the east side of this courtyard is a main porch, the main reading room, the stack room and offices. The northern wing of the library includes students’ reading rooms, a browsing room, an audio-visual room and an auditorium. The exhibit room and storeroom are located in the western wing. The spans are 2 1 ft 8 in X 18 ft.

In order to provide both lighting and ventilation the library is built around an open courtyard which is landscaped to produce an architec- tural harmony pleasing to the eye in all seasons.

NEW KYOTO PREFECTURAL LIBRARY BUILDING 501

ROOM DETAILS

The main reading room on the third floor of the southern wing includes the following four departments :

(A) literature, language, and art; (B) history, geography, travel and collections on Kyoto; (C) the social sciences, philosophy and religion; (D) the natural sciences, engineering, and industry.

The partitions between these departments are adjustable in order to assure greater flexibility of growth in one or more particular fields as the library holdings increase. Each department includes seating and desk facilities for patrons and about 10,000 books on open shelves. Library staff members assigned to each department are ready to guide patrons in the selection of books and to provide pertinent information and answers to reference questions as necessary.

In this same room on the third floor there are two work rooms for the library staff. Each room with two departments is a glass-enclosed area of about 194 fts equipped with desk facilities, telephones, typewriters, file cabinets, shelf lists and other equipment necessary to carry out cataloguing and to answer reference questions by mail and telephone. The larger of these two work rooms is connected with the stack rooms and the order and cataloguing department below by an elevator and also stairs. The other area is similarly connected by two book elevators, one large, and one small.

The general catalogne is located in the lobby of the third floor of the east wing between the main stairs and the main reading room. The information desk is located nearby, where the library staff stand ready to guide and advise patrons in the use of the facilities of the library.

The browsing room, located on the first floor of the north wing, is a room for the casual reader, stocked with novels, short stories, news- papers, magazines, hobby and how-to-do-it books and similar light reading. It has a separate entrance from the outside.

The students’ reading rooms for junior and senior high school students are located on the second and third floor of the north wing equipped with various reference materials and with separate entrances from the outside.

On the fourth floor of the east wing, there is a limited reading room for the use of those who are carrying out some long-term study project and group research rooms where group research projects can be carried out.

The audio-visual room on the fourth floor collects, preserves and

Entrance

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Browsing room

Lunch roam

Locker room

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office /

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Order and catologuing department

Ground floor

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2nd floor

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3rd Floor I

504 NEW KYOTO PREFECTURAL LIBRARY BUILDING

provides films, slides, records, recording tapes and similar audio-visual materials, in addition to which it will actually produce materials which have special reference to Kyoto, its history, culture and industry. Special audio-visual facilities such as recording rooms, rooms for playing records and recording tape, and an auditorium for listening to music through earphones are offered patrons.

Below the exhibit room on the second floor of the west wing is a store- room of the same size where various collections concerning the history, customs and industry of Kyoto will be stored prior to their display in the exhibit room. (These include the famous Yoshikawa collection, com- prising 20,000 paintings, manuscripts, costumes, dolls, arms and armour, musical instruments, and other cultural and historical records of ancient Japan, and particularly Kyoto.) From this storeroom, exhibit materials are brought up by an elevator to a preparation room where they are organized and arranged for display in the exhibit room next door.

An auditorium is located on the fourth floor equipped with 360 seats to provide space for lectures, and space for listening to recorded music and viewing motion pictures.

Also located on the fourth floor is a small meeting room seating 20 to 30 people for discussion meetings, small gatherings, reading circles, and the like. Adjacent to this room and separated from it by a glass partition is a recording room which can be used either for recording or private film showings.

The stack rooms on the first and second floors of the south wing have steel multi-tier stacks of two levels totalling 500,000 volumes in all. They are connected with the main reading room on the third floor by stairs, elevators and booklifts, and adjoin the order and cataloguing depart- ment and the store room for exhibits. The height of each stack level is 7 ft 5 in with each shelf section being 2 ft 11 in. Interval between centre lines of two stacks is 4 ft 4 in, Part of the stack room is enclosed by heavy wire mesh for the purpose of separating special books from the rest of the stock. Rare books are kept in a metal storage enclosure within this area. Lighting is provided by fluorescent lights attached to the ceiling between book cases and also affixed to the top of each book case with a separate switch so that they may be switched on and off individually.

The order and cataloguing department is located on the first floor of the south wing and will facilitate the receipt, classifying, and cataloguing of materials and will assure the proper storage of materials acquired. For this reason the order and cataloguing department is situated near the stack room, with easy access to the work rooms of the main reading room, and, through a staff-member only passageway, for bringing materials in and out.

NEW KYOTO PREFECTURAL LIBRARY BUILDING 505

The photograph reproduction room, located in the basement, is divided into three sections : photography, development, and printing and drying. The library makes photo-reproductions and microfilms of rare books and materials borrowed from other institutions. It also ful- fils other photoreproduction needs of the library as well as accepting requests from library patrons for photoreproduction work.

A locker-room is provided so as to safeguard property brought to the library premises by patrons. The room is located near the information desk.

There is a lunch room on the first floor of the north wing.

BUILDING DATA

Site: 15,000 ms Story: 4 floors above ground, 1 floor underground Building area :

Total building area 11,581=46 ma Basement 568-90 ma 1st floor 3324.00 m2 2nd floor 2885.20 ms 3rd floor 2618.20 ms 4th floor 1152.40 m2

Room area: Main Reading Room (Subject departmentalization system)

1712.34 m2 675 capacity (persons) Browsing Room 198-35 ms 120 capacity (persons) Students’ Reading Room

654.54 m2 400 capacity (persons) Special Reading Room and Group Reading Room

34 capacity (persons) Exhibit Room 727.27 m2 Auditorium 327.27 rn2 360 capacity (persons) Audio-visual section 264.46 m2 Stack 2148.76 m2 500,000 capacity (volumes)

Architect : Hiroyasu Tomiie Consultants : Mayumi Takizawa Building costs :

Cost of site : ‘P 180,000,000 Total cost: YF420,000,000

506 NEW KYOTO PREFECTURAL LIBRARY BUILDING

Type of construction : Reinforced concrete Lighting : Fluorescent, incandescent electric light partly Fllrs: Vinyl tile, asphalt plastic tile Heating: Forced air heat and ventilation, fan coil unit system Air conditioning: Main reading room and exhibit room only