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British Architect Norman Foster to Design Public Library’s Renovation - NYTimes.com
I don't know enough about the affordances and constraints of the New York Public Library building on 5th Ave to be able to have an informed opinion as to the necessity of this proposed renovation, but I'm tempted to file it under the "if it ain't broke, why fix it?" category.
The proposal sounds a bit scary, like a proposal to press a starchitect's ego what is a beloved icon. In particular, the quote by one board member (end of article) suggests a determination to proceed even if warning flags go up. Yes, libraries are very important, but they don't necessarily need *spectacular* intervention proposed.
Too bad the article doesn't link to images of the proposal.
On some levels the intervention sounds innocuous enough, as it won't visible from the outside and will affect only the interior. It could be as restorative as a heart transplant for someone who's terminally ill with heart disease. On the other hand, it could be as dangerous as a heart transplant...
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Mr. Foster and his London firm, Foster & Partners, are to create a new circulation library in a space below the library’s Rose Reading Room and overlooking Bryant Park that now houses seven levels of stacks and a basement.
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The area, which now measures 1.25 million cubic feet, will be completely reconfigured, with new rooms for children and teenagers and numerous computer work stations. The stacks are to move to an existing three-acre storage area beneath Bryant Park that is also to be renovated. Work is expected to be completed by 2013.
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Libraries as 'urban hangouts' Crosscut Seattle
Nice commentary on Witold Rybczynski's popular slide essay on Slate (see http://www.slate.com/id/2184927/). Good to see a native give some feedback on Rybczynski's take on Seattle library, too. I have to agree with David Brewster that the Salt Lake City Library is a knock-out: really gorgeous.
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