The last week of construction turned out to be the last two weeks of construction, but it officially ended on October 3rd. Let’s take it one thing at a time with this final construction blog post regarding those weeks. I’ll first show what was accomplished outside, and then talk about the inside. The outside brick façade (FC-2/N5 type (Click here for a picture) ¥230,000) was finished as well as the entrance tiling (¥58,000). This tiling was sloped such that the library is fully accessible with a wheelchair.
Next, we had fold-up benches installed outside in the front of the library for extra seating. Who doesn’t like sitting outdoors on a nice day? These benches also fold up and will hook onto the walls so that the space can be used for parking baby strollers or push wagons and the like. Under the benches we planted grass because why not? A little greenery will be a nice touch in an area where concrete isn’t lacking. Finally, we added a lattice for some extra privacy/sunshade if someone wants to sit outside to read. I think some plants will also enjoy its presence in the future. The benches, lattice, and wooden framework were all stained with a teak finish.
On the inside, the first thing of note is that all the book shelves were installed, which look fantastic.
Finally, on September 28, everything inside the library was unmasked and thoroughly cleaned to reveal a pretty snazzy library.
A few other honorable mentions during the final phase of the construction include the restroom/toilet door, the (now unobstructed) access point for the manholes under the building, the baseboards, and the remaking of the outer wall which used to be another exit. They did a fantastic job on this wall. Now all that is visible from the outside is a thin line running the border between the concrete structure and the wooden-framed plaster board (I don’t know how they did it, but it looks like all the same materials).
Here ends the construction phase of the library. You may have noticed in the above pictures that there are still some walls that need painting. This, and some other projects will be completed DIY in order to save on costs. A post on this will follow soon! For now, it’s nice to be able to say, “The construction is finished!” It took a long way to get to this point. We still have a bit to go before we are ready to open. But at least a huge milestone was reached!