Renovation as a Social Opportunity
Schlösslesfeld is a vibrant district of Ludwigsburg, a mid-sized city just north of Stuttgart. It is a mixed neighborhood with amenities for families, seniors and young people, where the branch library “Zweigstelle Schlösslesfeld” has been a fixture of local community life for decades.
The library is housed in a 1970s elementary school building. Necessary renovations for the floors, window frames and energy efficiency presented an opportunity to look beyond technical repairs alone. The city of Ludwigsburg chose to reinvent the library as a third place library for the district: an inclusive, welcoming space where residents of all ages can come together, linger, learn and meet one another.
"By carefully thinking through how this library is used – together with the library team, experts and the city – we created an authentic third place for the district."
PLAY CASTLE
WARM ATMOSPHERE
A Human-Centered Approach with Design Thinking
The repositioning kickoff began with a Design Thinking process led by expert Julia Bergmann. In close collaboration with the library team, the wishes, needs and pain points were mapped out, with special attention to the library’s role as a gathering place in the neighborhood.
This was followed by an intensive design workshop week, during which we worked together with library staff and urban stakeholders to develop a new concept for a forward-looking neighborhood library. Based on these collaborative sessions, a design for the new library interior was developed under the supervision of includi. The technical detailing and execution were subsequently carried out by the city of Ludwigsburg.
A Community Space with a Soul of Its Own
Every square meter is cleverly and optimally used. The multifunctional library design offers a variety of inviting settings: a warm green ceiling evokes the feeling of a leafy canopy, seating and reading zones are available at different scales, as are informal nooks for gathering, reading and other activities.
A little play castle with a lookout tower waiting to be climbed forms its own cozy kingdom for the youngest visitors: a place to explore and retreat with a book. Together, these elements create a true sense of home: a place where neighborhood residents and visitors naturally run into one another.
The end result is a vibrant, versatile third place library with a warm, distinctive character that invites reading, relaxing, gathering and shared activities. The space reflects inclusive values such as accessibility, flexibility and social connection, contributing to the social infrastructure of Schlösslesfeld and to the quality of life of the community.
"With this newly redesigned branch, we are opening doors not only to books, but also to ideas, encounters and an endless number of new perspectives."
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