Rumi at the Library
Abdel Hamid Shoman Library
Amman, Jordan
2016
The cafe is located within the Abdel Hamid Shoman library, it is accessed via the reading spaces and bookshelves of the library. Like the original Rumi cafe in Jebal Al Weibdeh, it is a place of creative exchange and community but also provides for those who wish to work, study or read a book on their own. Large shared tables facilitate this interaction.
The library has been added to over time. We removed these layers (the suspended ceiling, vinyl flooring and redundant services) to reveal the character of the existing building, this included a rough concrete coffered ceiling which now serves to connect the cafe with other areas of the building where it is also exposed. A thin wash of warm grey paint forms a clear but muted backdrop to brightly coloured objects and plants which appear to float. The choice and design of the furnishings, which include a range of seating by Local Industries, pick up on the 1980’s architecture of the library.
The space allocated for the cafe is flanked on one side by a long tinted window which opens to the street and on the other by a study space which is popular among students who rely on its calm, studious atmosphere. The cafe will provide an alternative space where students and other users can enjoy a more relaxed environment. Acoustic separation between the cafe and study space is achieved by a full height glazed partition. Plants hanging from the ceiling provide manifestation for the glass and filter the activities of the cafe from the rest of the library.
