A soviet-era library reimagined as a bright study space
Library of QyzPU
Location.
Area.
Function.
Status.
Scope.
Almaty
2376m²
Educational
Built
Architecture, Design
Located within the State University of Kazakhstan, founded in 1944, the library had undergone several partial renovations over time. These successive interventions gradually fragmented the interior spaces and reduced the building’s functionality. The project proposes a complete renovation to reorganize the library and transform it into a brighter, more welcoming environment for study and research.
Located within the State University of Kazakhstan, founded in 1944, the library had undergone several partial renovations over time. These successive interventions gradually fragmented the interior spaces and reduced the building’s functionality. The project proposes a complete renovation to reorganize the library and transform it into a brighter, more welcoming environment for study and research.
The renovation project
The architectural intervention is guided by three principles: light, warmth, and flexibility. By bringing more natural light into the building and introducing warmer materials and colors, the renovation transforms the previously rigid atmosphere into a more comfortable and contemporary space for study.
During the renovation of a building in the inner courtyard of the Women’s Pedagogical University campus, a Soviet-era mosaic created in 1968 by the Kazakh artist Moldakhmet Kenbayev was threatened with demolition to make way for new construction.
Recognizing its historical and cultural value, we convinced the client to preserve the artwork and commissioned its restoration and relocation. The mosaic was reinstalled at the entrance of the university library so it could remain visible to students, staff, and visitors.
The restoration was carried out by Alpamys Kenbayev, one of the few mosaic restoration specialists in Kazakhstan. Working block by block in his workshop overlooking Almaty, he reassembled the fragments of the mosaic originally created by his father.
Soviet heritage