Subterranean Médiathèque

The Raglan médiathèque proposal offers a new social and technical space that can put the town on the map for a different reason than its famous castle. This blend between the perks of a traditional library with the added media influence creates a hybrid space of tradition and currentness. This new infrastructure will benefit and support the local community, providing new opportunities and attract more visitors to the town, boosting its economy.

The steep grass hill site next to the castle is disconnected from the town and its community by the A40 dual carriage way. The médiathèque will act as a ‘bridge’ to reconnect what the town is known for, its castle, and the real soul of the town, its local community. The implementation of a bridge or underpass across the A40 better connects the two together and enable the locals to benefit from the médiathèque as well as its visitors who don’t live in Raglan.

The concept of the project is taken from the site itself. Exposed roots and animal burrows on the boundary of the site sparked the inspiration for the project, where the roots, act as multiple routes through the médiathèque and between the castle and the town. Focussing on respecting the original landscape as possible, the project is 100% underground with outdoor spaces carved through the site so aesthically the site’s topography is mainly the same and the building doesn’t visually impede on views of the castle. The design is consciously modern and angular to contrast with the historic landmark looming above the site and to create an identity of its own for itself. Importantly, the aims of this project were to provide better and safe links between the castle and the town, to have a clear and understandable route through the médiathèque to create a pleasurable experience for its users and to have as little impact on the site as possible and to not obstruct the castle views.