Taltal Public Library by Murúa-Valenzuela
Daylight floods into the reading rooms of this Chilean library though the high level windows of faceted ventilation stacks.
Designed by architects Murúa-Valenzuela, the three-storey-high library is located in the coastal town of Taltal, where it faces a public square and recently completed theatre.
![Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/01/dezeen_Taltal-Public-Library-by-Murua-Valenzuela-Architects-1.jpg)
The reading rooms are occupy the two lower levels, while group study areas and balconies are located on the top floor.
![Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/01/dezeen_Taltal-Public-Library-by-Murua-Valenzuela-Architects-8.jpg)
Doors at the back of the library lead out through a small courtyard to a second building, which houses a private office.
![Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/01/dezeen_Taltal-Public-Library-by-Murua-Valenzuela-Architects-16.jpg)
Murua-Valenzuela previously designed an interesting house on a hillside - see our story about it here.
![Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/01/dezeen_Taltal-Public-Library-by-Murua-Valenzuela-Architects-17.jpg)
Photography is by Macarena Álvarez.
![Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/01/dezeen_Taltal-Public-Library-by-Murua-Valenzuela-Architects-2.jpg)
Here's a little more information from Benjamín Murúa and Rodrigo Valenzuela:
Taltal Public Library
Taltal is a coastal town in the Antofagasta Region, 306 Km. south of the city of Antofagasta and 25.4 degrees latitude south.
![Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/01/dezeen_Taltal-Public-Library-by-Murua-Valenzuela-Architects-5.jpg)
The project to design the new public library arose from a public competition process petitioned by the Municipality of Taltal in 2008.
![Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/01/dezeen_Taltal-Public-Library-by-Murua-Valenzuela-Architects-14.jpg)
Our firm submitted a project which received the first place selection.
![Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/01/dezeen_Taltal-Public-Library-by-Murua-Valenzuela-Architects-10.jpg)
The new library´s site was a municipal plot, facing Taltal´s central square, and near the recently remodelled Alhambra Theater.
![Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/01/dezeen_Taltal-Public-Library-by-Murua-Valenzuela-Architects-4.jpg)
The idea was to form a cultural network between the theater and the new library.
![Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/01/dezeen_Taltal-Public-Library-by-Murua-Valenzuela-Architects-21.jpg)
The dimensions of the site—40 meters long and 7 meters wide—highly influenced and defined the special organisation of the building.
![Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/01/dezeen_Taltal-Public-Library-by-Murua-Valenzuela-Architects-9.jpg)
We decided to divide the design into three floors, creating spaces of varied height that depend on the type of reading room.
![Taltal Public Library by Murúa-Valenzuela Taltal Public Library by Murúa-Valenzuela](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/01/dezeen_Taltal-Public-Library-by-Murua-Valenzuela-Architects-7.jpg)
There is also an interior patio that divides public areas with internal working areas, apart from serving as an informal reading space.
![Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/01/dezeen_Taltal-Public-Library-by-Murua-Valenzuela-Architects-13.jpg)
One of the issues that we took into consideration when developing the project was that the building would be higher than the average height of the rest of the city´s buildings.
![Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/01/dezeen_Taltal-Public-Library-by-Murua-Valenzuela-Architects-12.jpg)
Hence, we would have a 7 meter façade facing the square, and two dividing walls of 40 meters each—80 meters all together—that would be visible from a large portion of the city.
![Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/01/dezeen_Taltal-Public-Library-by-Murua-Valenzuela-Architects-15.jpg)
Due to this factor, we decided to work the walls as façades instead of simply perceiving them as dividing walls.
![Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/01/dezeen_Taltal-Public-Library-by-Murua-Valenzuela-Architects-6.jpg)
This idea influenced in several ways, including the design of large skylights that illuminate the main hall, as well as applying a texture with visual designs to the exterior cement walling.
![Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/01/dezeen_Taltal-Public-Library-by-Murua-Valenzuela-Architects-33.gif)
On the first two floors of the building we used a structure involving support pillars and beamed tiles in order to free up the interior space almost entirely.
![Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/01/dezeen_Taltal-Public-Library-by-Murua-Valenzuela-Architects-24.gif)
On the upper levels, we decided to create some volume with metallic structures, sheathing them with wavy metal plates.
![Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/01/dezeen_Taltal-Public-Library-by-Murua-Valenzuela-Architects-25.gif)
To achieve the relief texture on the exterior cementing, we worked together with both a cement company and a formwork company.
![Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/01/dezeen_Taltal-Public-Library-by-Murua-Valenzuela-Architects-26.gif)
The idea behind this was to create a wall whose surface changes colors along with the changes in texture.
![Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/01/dezeen_Taltal-Public-Library-by-Murua-Valenzuela-Architects-27.gif)
The design pattern reproduces ornamental figures that we found in the Alhambra Theater and also on several other buildings in the city.
![Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/01/dezeen_Taltal-Public-Library-by-Murua-Valenzuela-Architects-28.gif)
Architects: Benjamín Murúa, Rodrigo Valenzuela
Location: Taltal, Chile – Region of Antofagasta
![Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/01/dezeen_Taltal-Public-Library-by-Murua-Valenzuela-Architects-29.gif)
Development: Ximena Vallejos, Miguel Mallea
![Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/01/dezeen_Taltal-Public-Library-by-Murua-Valenzuela-Architects-30.gif)
Project Year: 2008
Construction: 2009-2010
![Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects Taltal Public Library by Murua Valenzuela Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/01/dezeen_Taltal-Public-Library-by-Murua-Valenzuela-Architects-31.gif)