Biblioteca Olona

A small public library on the main square of a market town, replacing a car park.

The building is one calm block of travertine with a single long window at reading height. From the square you see people reading; from the reading room you see the plane trees and the market on Saturdays.

Inside, the oak shelves run the full length of both walls and the long table seats twenty. There are no desks to book and no rules about how long you can stay.