From "reading machine" to "event space" : the building of the Jagiellonian Library in the views of its designers

This article presents the views on library architecture represented by two architects involved in designing and building the Jagiellonian Library: Wacław Krzyżanowski, who started the construction in 1931, and Waldemar Loegler, who finished the last expansion of the edifice in 2001. For Krzyżanowski, who followed the Modernist and Functionalist ideas, a library was a place of strict organisation and respect, hence the monumentalism and stability of that part of the building which he designed. Loegler's design, however, is based upon the theory of free forms, according to which a library should be a friendly and open place. In Loegler's view, an architect designs not only the building itself, but also the events which take place within its walls. This article also touches upon some possible future scenarios for the building of the Jagiellonian Library, with regard to the changing needs of its users, such as the necessity of building a storage area. It also presents the contemporary tendencies in library architecture.