If it looks like a lighthouse, named like a lighthouse, and shines like a lighthouse, then it probably is a lighthouse? well, not really. During the mid-1990’s, the city of Curitiba launched a massive campaign to encourage residents to read more books. As part of a citywide endeavor, dozens of neighborhoods across Curitiba were bestowed with a lighthouse-shaped library, collectively known as Farol do Saber.
By: Omri Westmark
Date: 14:45 17.03.23
Last Update: 14:49 17.03.23
For decades on end, Curitiba has been in the forefront of sustainable urban planning, with projects like its bus rapid transit and garbage collection program serving as a model for cities across the world. During the 1990’s, as part of the municipal government’s attempt to improve each and every aspect of day-to-day life, the city prioritized boosting its education system.
To accomplish Curitiba’s ambitious plan, a network of over forty libraries were erected throughout much of the city. Whether as a cost saving measure or a pure architectural decision, all of the buildings were uniformly designed as a lighthouse-shaped structure, aptly named Farol do Saber – the lighthouse of knowledge.
Inspired by both the Lighthouse of Alexandria as well as the Library of Alexandria in Egypt, each unit features a 10-meter-tall cylindrical tower attached to a small depositary, whose built area is roughly 90 square meters. Every library comprises of 2 floors, the first is dedicated to books while the second offers a learning space with free internet access. Made entirely of metal, the lighthouse serves as a spiral staircase that connects the two decks and the viewing platform. Curiously, almost all of the towers are crowned by a rooster weathervane, a symbol of awakeness and sharp mind.
The libraries were constructed in the mid-1990’s, with the first one being erected in 1994, in the neighborhood of Mercês. As a tribute to the country’s rich literature, every library was named after an illustrious Brazilian novelist or poet, including Machado de Assis and Emílio de Menezes, to name just a few. With the availability of infinite knowledge throughout the internet, the libraries might not be the pilgrimage sites they once were, and yet, their eye-catching presence offers a refreshing respite from their otherwise mundane surroundings.
photography by: Omri Westmark
photography by: Joalpe/ Wikimedia Commons
photography by: Omri Westmark
photography by: Omri Westmark
photography by: Omri Westmark
photography by: Pisi774 and DAR7 e Eloy Olindo Setti/ Wikimedia Commons
photography by: Omri Westmark
photography by: Guilmann/ Wikimedia Commons
