Libraries have always been at the heart of the community they serve. But our need for shared, community-centred spaces to find information and connect with others is unlikely to change any time soon. To survive in the digital age and stay relevant, it should embrace both the physical and virtual elements. Therefore, to transform libraries into an active social space is very essential. It can become an extended space that integrates multiple functions and serves as a cultural and knowledge hub, which can also be imagined as an open to all, relaxed and vibrant public place.

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Resulting from the issue of diminishing public spaces in the city and inactive and derelict nature of public institutions such as the library, this thesis aimed at investigating an alternative approach to public place design through the creation of a vibrant community space at Kochi, with a public library as its anchor.