A building clad in Armenian tufa resembling the image of a waving Soviet flag is one of the centerpieces of Kazan and a significant example of the late Soviet architecture. It was built in 1987 for the Kazan branch of the Vladimir Lenin Central Museum. The major achievement of the project whilst being respectful to the material and spatial features of the original design was to transform a somber and outdated structure into vibrant and lively public space.
The public library on the ground floor is designed in a minimalistic manner, exposing the natural texture of concrete, stainless steel details and glazing. The academic library on the first floor pays an homage to late-modernist Soviet architecture. The ceiling of the academic library is resolved in an ornamental pattern of tubular skylights and artificial lighting. Floors ary finished in terrazzo, walls are plastered white, furniture and wall panelling is finished in natural oak.
In addition to major library spaces, the National Library building accommodates conference hall, the Whitebox exhibition hall, the Blackbox hall, recording studio, lecture halls, offices and book depositories.
