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muschamp calls it the most exciting new building he's reviewed in the last 30 years!! the pictures all look amazing but have any seattle ilxors been inside?

― mark p (Mark P), Sunday, 16 May 2004 16:47 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.arcspace.com/architects/koolhaas/Seattle/1.Koolhaas-Library.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Sunday, 16 May 2004 16:47 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.arcspace.com/architects/koolhaas/Seattle/2.Koolhaas-Library.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Sunday, 16 May 2004 16:48 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.arcspace.com/architects/koolhaas/Seattle/2.Koolhaas-Library.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Sunday, 16 May 2004 16:48 (twenty-one years ago)

(whoops)

http://www.arcspace.com/architects/koolhaas/Seattle/5.Koolhaas-Library.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Sunday, 16 May 2004 16:48 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.arcspace.com/architects/koolhaas/Seattle/6.sdmay3livingroom2.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Sunday, 16 May 2004 16:49 (twenty-one years ago)

http://img.slate.msn.com/media/19/01_New_SeattlePublicLibrary.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Sunday, 16 May 2004 16:49 (twenty-one years ago)

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/dayart/20030331/450library31_group.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Sunday, 16 May 2004 16:51 (twenty-one years ago)

(btw mods is there someone out there who could create an architecture category please? i lumped this in under 'art')

― mark p (Mark P), Sunday, 16 May 2004 16:52 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.djc.com/stories/images/20030303/Library_Seattle.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Sunday, 16 May 2004 16:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Just heard about this yesterday, my cousins and DB were talking about it. Looks pretty great!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 16 May 2004 16:54 (twenty-one years ago)

I look at it and all I think is "MAN, that's gonna be a pain in the ass to clean."

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Sunday, 16 May 2004 16:55 (twenty-one years ago)

It's in Seattle. The rain will clean it.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 16 May 2004 16:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh yes. It rains Poland Spring over there.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Sunday, 16 May 2004 16:57 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.spl.org/lfa/central/ConstructionCamera/Images/winter0304-interiors/jan/mixing-1564.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Sunday, 16 May 2004 17:00 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.spl.org/lfa/central/ConstructionCamera/Images/winter0304-interiors/jan/esl-1416.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Sunday, 16 May 2004 17:01 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.spl.org/lfa/central/ConstructionCamera/Images/winter0304-interiors/jan/ne-corner-1560.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Sunday, 16 May 2004 17:01 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.spl.org/lfa/central/ConstructionCamera/Images/winter0304-interiors/jan/auditorium-1412.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Sunday, 16 May 2004 17:02 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.spl.org/lfa/central/ConstructionCamera/Images/winter0304-interiors/jan/end-of-spiral-1460.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Sunday, 16 May 2004 17:02 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.spl.org/lfa/central/ConstructionCamera/Images/winter0304-exteriors/nov/MON0011.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Sunday, 16 May 2004 17:02 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.spl.org/lfa/central/ConstructionCamera/Images/winter0304-exteriors/nov/UBC0011.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Sunday, 16 May 2004 17:02 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.spl.org/lfa/central/ConstructionCamera/Images/winter0304-exteriors/dec/view-from-sw-0896_1.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Sunday, 16 May 2004 17:03 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.spl.org/lfa/central/ConstructionCamera/Images/winter0304-exteriors/jan/ne-1497.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Sunday, 16 May 2004 17:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh yes. It rains Poland Spring over there.

Yay!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 16 May 2004 17:03 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.spl.org/lfa/central/ConstructionCamera/Images/winter0304-exteriors/jan/snow-diamonds-1483.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Sunday, 16 May 2004 17:03 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.spl.org/lfa/central/ConstructionCamera/Images/winter0304-exteriors/jan/west-1518.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Sunday, 16 May 2004 17:03 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.spl.org/lfa/central/ConstructionCamera/Images/winter0304-exteriors/jan/DSCN0150.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Sunday, 16 May 2004 17:04 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.spl.org/lfa/central/ConstructionCamera/Images/Curtainwall/031015-002.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Sunday, 16 May 2004 17:04 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.spl.org/lfa/central/ConstructionCamera/Images/Curtainwall/031015-001a.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Sunday, 16 May 2004 17:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Um, mmm, as viewed from a loooooooooooong distance, from here -- and my eyesight is (un)pretty poor anyhow, to boot -- well, that darn structure looks absolutely great!

Erm, Kolhaas's name I know but who, prey, is this "muschamp" you speak of?

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Sunday, 16 May 2004 17:05 (twenty-one years ago)

sorry, herbert muschamp = architecture critic for the new york times

― mark p (Mark P), Sunday, 16 May 2004 17:06 (twenty-one years ago)

sometimes i picture him seeing the building and doing a little dance

― mark p (Mark P), Sunday, 16 May 2004 17:08 (twenty-one years ago)

while lou reed (or whoever) looks on in disgust

― mark p (Mark P), Sunday, 16 May 2004 17:09 (twenty-one years ago)

oh, i nearly hoped lou reed was buried beneath that beautiful building :(

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Sunday, 16 May 2004 17:17 (twenty-one years ago)

http://pod-135.dolphin-server.co.uk/~gareth/photos/5002.jpg

― gareth (gareth), Sunday, 16 May 2004 17:19 (twenty-one years ago)

NICE.

― mark p (Mark P), Sunday, 16 May 2004 17:19 (twenty-one years ago)

how dramatic

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Sunday, 16 May 2004 17:20 (twenty-one years ago)

http://osb3.gothamweb.com/osb/storedemo/MOves.gif

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Sunday, 16 May 2004 17:32 (twenty-one years ago)

i mean it's a shame he couldn't make "the ball," it doesn't take long to figure out

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Sunday, 16 May 2004 17:33 (twenty-one years ago)

i love this, but how practical is it, w. the heat and the light.

― anthony, Sunday, 16 May 2004 18:51 (twenty-one years ago)

the windows are coated with billions of "scrubber" microbes that continuously clean the exterior glass, and they collectively emit more than half the building's energy needs

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Sunday, 16 May 2004 19:03 (twenty-one years ago)

It opens next week, so I haven't been inside, but the internal spaces you can see from the street look pretty amazing.

― Scott CE (Scott CE), Sunday, 16 May 2004 19:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Interior looks mondo fantastic.

The exterior is hideous, though.

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Sunday, 16 May 2004 19:15 (twenty-one years ago)

I *love* it.

It isn't open yet, but last weekend we walked around the outside of it and took pictures. It's GORGEOUS, and works so well with its surroundings too. I'm dying for it to open so we can see it all.

― Layna Andersen (Layna Andersen), Monday, 17 May 2004 04:39 (twenty-one years ago)

I fucking had to turn down the chance to tour the thing last week because I was so busy w/work. Grrrrr. A coworker, who's doing a cover story on it, has visited several times, and is pretty agog about it--her mom was a librarian so it's sort of in her blood. I'm really looking fwd to it, needless to say.

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Monday, 17 May 2004 04:58 (twenty-one years ago)

yet another reason to move to seattle. god i'm tempted.

― Dave M. (rotten03), Monday, 17 May 2004 05:07 (twenty-one years ago)

I wouldn't kick you out

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Monday, 17 May 2004 06:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, well it better be good considering all the traffic snarls that construction used to cause me.

― Bimble (bimble), Monday, 17 May 2004 06:14 (twenty-one years ago)

light damages books.
how will this not ?

― anthony, Monday, 17 May 2004 12:25 (twenty-one years ago)

This looks amazing! I will definitely have to go there if I'm ever in Seattle again.

Anthony's question is a good one though, I do wonder about the practicality of it.

― El Diablo Robotico (Nicole), Monday, 17 May 2004 17:47 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm guessing they've either got the bookcases within further walls and we are looking into an outer walkaround area, or else the glass has been specifically treated with something or other. Hm.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 17 May 2004 17:48 (twenty-one years ago)

wow.

― cozen (Cozen), Monday, 17 May 2004 17:51 (twenty-one years ago)

sometimes i picture him seeing the building and doing a little dance

Yeah, he was kinda foaming at the mouth in that article.

The building does look amazing though.

― mcd (mcd), Monday, 17 May 2004 17:57 (twenty-one years ago)

this one was a disaster, glass towers of books which now are wooden ones cos they needed to install wooden shutters to protect the very books they were designed to store. Koolhaas is a much greater architect than Perrault though.

http://www.pixelmap.com/images/dma_per_04.jpg

i think they must have learned from its mistakes.

― jed_ (jed), Monday, 17 May 2004 19:30 (twenty-one years ago)

I was gonna say, books tend to be in bookcases, which tend to block light very, very effectively.

I'm pretty pumped for this.

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Monday, 17 May 2004 19:33 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm not so into it. Random can also be beautiful and satisfying. This is not.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 17 May 2004 19:50 (twenty-one years ago)

not which? random or beautiful and satisfying?

― mark p (Mark P), Monday, 17 May 2004 19:51 (twenty-one years ago)

what in god's name is random about this?

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Monday, 17 May 2004 19:52 (twenty-one years ago)

side question: is it wrong to get a boner from a building?

― mark p (Mark P), Monday, 17 May 2004 19:53 (twenty-one years ago)

The angles seem random, but they don't seem to serve any overall purpose, and the overall result is squat with an overhang. Perhaps they'll work for the interior layout?

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 17 May 2004 19:55 (twenty-one years ago)

wait, are we talking about the building or my boner?

― mark p (Mark P), Monday, 17 May 2004 19:56 (twenty-one years ago)

haha! Actually, for random angles, I like that new building that Gehry did at MIT much more.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 17 May 2004 20:02 (twenty-one years ago)

The angles seem random, but they don't seem to serve any overall purpose

Apparently, their purposes are served inside the building.

― mcd (mcd), Monday, 17 May 2004 20:14 (twenty-one years ago)

this thread features a dastardly post from Tracer Hand. I had completely forgotten about the existence of those things.

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Monday, 17 May 2004 20:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Can "Dastard" be a noun by itself? "You Dastard!" etc.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 17 May 2004 20:56 (twenty-one years ago)

yes. rapscallionish (which isn't a word) would have been much more appropriate.

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Monday, 17 May 2004 21:16 (twenty-one years ago)

"Dastard Hand"

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 17 May 2004 21:17 (twenty-one years ago)

did anyone read the review in the new yorker this week? i just did...it's pretty good!

― geeta (geeta), Monday, 17 May 2004 22:23 (twenty-one years ago)

he likes the building obv

― geeta (geeta), Monday, 17 May 2004 22:24 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah this thing looks totally awesome

― cinniblount (James Blount), Tuesday, 18 May 2004 03:35 (twenty-one years ago)

jed is that the Mitterand library?

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 18 May 2004 11:47 (twenty-one years ago)

indeed it is, a read an entire article about the catalogue of disasters surrounding that building but i cant find it online.

― jed_ (jed), Tuesday, 18 May 2004 11:54 (twenty-one years ago)

there's a fantastic cinema next to it that's not at all a disaster. i saw "les triplettes de belleville" there!

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 01:58 (twenty-one years ago)

God, architecture writing is really for the pseuds isn't it. From the Seattle Times: "If it were a sculpture, it might be called Knowledge Breaking Out of a Confining Egg." mmm egg.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 02:08 (twenty-one years ago)

don't blame architecture writing on the Seattle Times, my friend.

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 02:53 (twenty-one years ago)

God, architecture writing is really for the pseuds isn't it.

Yeah, kinda like dancing about art.

And egg. mmmmmm egg.

― donut bitch (donut), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 02:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Makes me jealous of what Chicago got stuck with (walking a mile before you actually encounter any books, a building most known for its ornamental owls). At least we have the Koolhaas student center at IIT, which, if the library Seattle is as meticulously, perfectly detailed, Seattlites are in for quite a treat. Just curious: How was this project funded? Taxes? Corporate monies? Bill Gates?

― robots in love (robotsinlove), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 03:08 (twenty-one years ago)

a big chunk of the money came from bill gates, yeah

― geeta (geeta), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 05:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Tried to go to this fucker this morning but the line was over 1.5 hours to get in. I guess that's a good thing; it's been a while since Seattle was this excited about something not sports-related. But it meant I didn't get in to see it today. :(

― Scott CE (Scott CE), Sunday, 23 May 2004 23:52 (twenty-one years ago)

three weeks pass...

the mitterand library is a mess. i mean, it looks really cool from the river (much better than that french dept. of commerce thing with the elevator that goes down to the ~~batmobile~~ i mean the boat (!!). but apparently water seeps into the lower (storage and mezzanine) levels often, and the librarians had to tape black paper etc. over the windows so the books don't get ruined.

in any event, this seattle library looks incredibly cool. i want more eyewitness reports.

― amateur!st (amateurist), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 02:36 (twenty-one years ago)

the not-so-new-anymore main branch chicago library SUCKS. there was an entire article in the reader this week about why it sucks, and why the seattle one is great.

― amateur!st (amateurist), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 02:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Its so weird to see people walking by that giant insane monstrosity. It'd be like seeing businessmen at a DEVO concert. So, genius of course.

― David Allen (David Allen), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 04:35 (twenty-one years ago)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/art/news/local/seattlepubliclibrary/12.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 17:34 (twenty-one years ago)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/art/news/local/seattlepubliclibrary/11.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 17:34 (twenty-one years ago)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/art/news/local/seattlepubliclibrary/13.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 17:34 (twenty-one years ago)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/art/news/local/seattlepubliclibrary/2.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 17:35 (twenty-one years ago)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/art/news/local/seattlepubliclibrary/4.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 17:35 (twenty-one years ago)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/art/news/local/seattlepubliclibrary/3.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 17:35 (twenty-one years ago)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/art/news/local/seattlepubliclibrary/1.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 17:35 (twenty-one years ago)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/art/news/local/seattlepubliclibrary/9.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 17:36 (twenty-one years ago)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/art/news/local/seattlepubliclibrary/17.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 17:36 (twenty-one years ago)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/art/news/local/seattlepubliclibrary/19.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 17:36 (twenty-one years ago)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/art/news/local/seattlepubliclibrary/7.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 17:36 (twenty-one years ago)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/art/news/local/seattlepubliclibrary/16.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 17:37 (twenty-one years ago)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/art/news/local/seattlepubliclibrary/5.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 17:37 (twenty-one years ago)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/art/news/local/seattlepubliclibrary/6.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 17:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Wow. I really need to go to Seattle to see this.

― El Diablo Robotico (Nicole), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 17:37 (twenty-one years ago)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/art/news/local/seattlepubliclibrary/15.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 17:37 (twenty-one years ago)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/art/news/local/seattlepubliclibrary/10.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 17:38 (twenty-one years ago)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/art/news/local/seattlepubliclibrary/18.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 17:38 (twenty-one years ago)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/art/news/local/seattlepubliclibrary/8.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 17:38 (twenty-one years ago)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/art/news/local/seattlepubliclibrary/20.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 17:38 (twenty-one years ago)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/art/news/local/seattlepubliclibrary/21.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 17:39 (twenty-one years ago)

amazingly koolhaas useed to say he was not interested in detailing - the good things about these pictures are the details (even though these pictues have been digitally enhanced to a fairly shocking degree) ; bright yellow escalators, bare concrete check out desks. the overall form is so-so, the accumulation of details is stunning.

― jed_ (jed), Tuesday, 15 June 2004 23:28 (twenty-one years ago)

one month passes...

...so who's been?

― jed_ (jed), Sunday, 8 August 2004 22:54 (twenty-one years ago)

I went. I saw. I couldn't find my way out.

― Joshua Houk (chascarrillo), Monday, 9 August 2004 02:31 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.kunstler.com/eyesore_200406.html

― Monetizing Eyeballs (diamond), Monday, 9 August 2004 02:58 (twenty-one years ago)

I love it, I really love it. It *does* remind me of a gigantic Ikea, however.

― Trayce (trayce), Monday, 9 August 2004 03:03 (twenty-one years ago)

(from the photos I mean - obv I havent been to Seattle).

― Trayce (trayce), Monday, 9 August 2004 03:04 (twenty-one years ago)

ten months pass...

I finally saw this last week. It's absoultely incredible and the outside is a lot less weird/imposing than it looks in some of the pictures (of course, I'd never been to Seattle before, so I have no idea what that block used to look like). The gift stand was selling this ridiculous buttons that said "I read in a Koolhaas".

― C0L1N B... (C0L1N B...), Friday, 8 July 2005 04:01 (twenty years ago)

this=these, obv.

― C0L1N B... (C0L1N B...), Friday, 8 July 2005 04:02 (twenty years ago)

The new library stands on where the old library used to be. It was a concrete, functional type building. I don't think anyone misses it.

― Tigerstyle Shamanic Vision Quester (sexyDancer), Friday, 8 July 2005 14:12 (twenty years ago)

I still really want to go and see this. Though I suppose it's a bit sad and geeky to take a trip to Seattle just to visit a library.

― Leon C. (Ex Leon), Friday, 8 July 2005 14:23 (twenty years ago)

You could also say you're going to visit the Fremont Troll:
http://kacmarynski.tripod.com/familyalbum_files/troll.jpg

― Tigerstyle Shamanic Vision Quester (sexyDancer), Friday, 8 July 2005 14:26 (twenty years ago)

it's nice!

― gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 8 July 2005 14:28 (twenty years ago)

oh fuck a tripod in the ear

― Tigerstyle Shamanic Vision Quester (sexyDancer), Friday, 8 July 2005 14:36 (twenty years ago)

No, I'm with you, Nicole. I am DESPERATE to see this building!

― I Named Veal (nordicskilla), Friday, 8 July 2005 15:25 (twenty years ago)

The "d" in andrew carnegie's name is set too low.

What's with the funky conveyer belt, complete with sheer vertical drop of several feet, at the checkout desk?

― Paul outta Santa Cruz (Paul in Santa Cruz), Friday, 8 July 2005 15:44 (twenty years ago)

it's a sort of rollercoaster for people with overdue books.

― jed_ (jed), Friday, 8 July 2005 15:54 (twenty years ago)

The "d" in andrew carnegie's name is set too low.

I'm guessing you do graphic work for your day job? I mean, that was really non-obvious.. it almost looks like an artifact of jpg compression, but just a pixel off too much for that to be the reason.

it's a sort of rollercoaster for people with overdue books.

Yes, the bannisters all have spikes. Beauty comes with hidden horror, you know.

― donut e- (donut), Friday, 8 July 2005 16:04 (twenty years ago)

This just sounds better and better.

― Leon C. (Ex Leon), Friday, 8 July 2005 16:08 (twenty years ago)

I'm going to be in Seattle next month on a library-related mission. I expect this to be a focal point of the trip, along with some kind of mountain climbing...

― geyser muffler and a quarter (Dave225), Friday, 8 July 2005 16:09 (twenty years ago)

He has a thing for fishnets doesn't he?

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Friday, 8 July 2005 16:11 (twenty years ago)

it's a shame people don't talk about architecture more often.

― jed_ (jed), Friday, 8 July 2005 16:17 (twenty years ago)

That would be like dancing about musi... oh, yeah.

― geyser muffler and a quarter (Dave225), Friday, 8 July 2005 16:20 (twenty years ago)

I think the library will be safer than Mt. Rainier.. given they just had a rescue someone the other day.. in nicer weather, even. And it's raining today and not warm (very odd even for Seattle this time of year.) Rainier has been a mean bitch of a mountain this year to prospective climbers.

Unless you just plan to climb the wiley mountains of Capitol Hill, then I think you will be fine.

― donut e- (donut), Friday, 8 July 2005 16:22 (twenty years ago)

I'm sure it will be a somewhat low-adventure climb. A group of middle-aged Library I.T. guys with an afternnon to kill....

― geyser muffler and a quarter (Dave225), Friday, 8 July 2005 16:25 (twenty years ago)

it's a shame people don't talk about architecture more often.

I do!

― I Named Veal (nordicskilla), Friday, 8 July 2005 16:26 (twenty years ago)

soon i am actually going to that architecture thread on ILM i've been thinking about.

― jed_ (jed), Friday, 8 July 2005 16:29 (twenty years ago)

get excited!

― jed_ (jed), Friday, 8 July 2005 16:31 (twenty years ago)

I am!

I was reading two books about architecture last night!

― I Named Veal (nordicskilla), Friday, 8 July 2005 16:31 (twenty years ago)

what ones!

― jed_ (jed), Friday, 8 July 2005 16:33 (twenty years ago)

Adam, dude, you and your wife should really swing a cheap flight up here. Let me know. I'll give you the details. Or get the documents I sent gygax! when he was here earler this year.

― donut e- (donut), Friday, 8 July 2005 16:39 (twenty years ago)

what ones!

hehe, I lay in bed reading the encyclopedia of 20th century architecture and "Content" the ludicrously pretentious OMA/Koolhaas thing.

donut, we would love to. Maybe Thanksgiving/New Year's, but I'm still in the middle of trying to organize a trip back to London for later this year.

― I Named Veal (nordicskilla), Friday, 8 July 2005 16:46 (twenty years ago)

some of those colors and lines give me a headache. I don't think I could get much reading done in there

best library ever (at least by the exterior)

http://sleek.hn.org/~photos/album/album62/chicago_038.sized.jpg

― Jeff-PTTL (Jeff), Friday, 8 July 2005 16:49 (twenty years ago)

wow, that guy looks so angry.

― Jeff-PTTL (Jeff), Friday, 8 July 2005 16:49 (twenty years ago)

Perhaps it discourages the book thieves.

― Leon C. (Ex Leon), Friday, 8 July 2005 16:50 (twenty years ago)

that's awful.

― jed_ (jed), Friday, 8 July 2005 16:54 (twenty years ago)

tell them!

― I Named Veal (nordicskilla), Friday, 8 July 2005 16:55 (twenty years ago)

when was that monster built?

― jed_ (jed), Friday, 8 July 2005 16:56 (twenty years ago)

My favourite library is the one from Wings Of Desire.

(please note, I've never actually been there)

― I Named Veal (nordicskilla), Friday, 8 July 2005 16:57 (twenty years ago)

i think that one's by Hans Scharoun. i've not been there either but it looks magnificent in the film.

― jed_ (jed), Friday, 8 July 2005 17:02 (twenty years ago)

http://staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/deutsch/ausstellungen/lese_landschaft/scharounplakat.jpg

― jed_ (jed), Friday, 8 July 2005 17:09 (twenty years ago)

that's a very lovely poster but is slightly spoiled by that angled "VERLANGERT".

― jed_ (jed), Friday, 8 July 2005 17:12 (twenty years ago)

Scarier: the manta ray gargoyle at the top of the library, or the pissed-off man in the baby blue basehall hat?

― donut e- (donut), Friday, 8 July 2005 17:22 (twenty years ago)

I think the gargoyles were what pissed him off.

― Leon C. (Ex Leon), Friday, 8 July 2005 17:29 (twenty years ago)

Wow! I hope I do get to go to Berlin.

― I Named Veal (nordicskilla), Friday, 8 July 2005 17:44 (twenty years ago)

Re the "d" in "Andrew Carnegie" (like anyone cares so many posts later) -- I'm not a graphic designer, but I'm pretty anal about this sort of thing.

I think the Seattle library looks great inside and out. (But my main measure of greatness for the interior of a library is a sufficient quantity of LARGE tables so I get one all to myself, complete with the option of moving to another if I end up next to noisy neighbors.)

Saddest library story: Columbia University's Music Library finally got funding to build a new facility 10 or so years ago. The new space was approximately twice the size of the old, meaning that for the first time in ages the library wouldn't have to keep roughly half its collection off-site. Except that the architects forgot to take into account the weight of the books in their design. So the new Music Library is large and empty, with more of the holdings than before (or so it seems) stored off-site.

― Paul outta Santa Cruz (Paul in Santa Cruz), Saturday, 9 July 2005 02:46 (twenty years ago)

DC's MLK library, designed by Mies van der Roe, is pretty neat.

http://www.recentpast.org/types/library/mlklib/images/mlkml2a.jpg

It looks better at night, though, when you can see the books lit up through the windows.

The Seattle library looks interesting, but it does not appear to hold any books.

Here is the "pergola" at the Michael Graves-designed library where I work.

http://www.erictaylorphoto.com/images/libraries/libraries03.jpg

― Mary (Mary), Saturday, 9 July 2005 03:19 (twenty years ago)

thats basically how i picture the library from "kafka on the shore"

― mark p (Mark P), Saturday, 9 July 2005 03:20 (twenty years ago)

Which one?

He is accepted by the quick-witted transgender library assistant and the middle-aged woman who run the library

Haven't read the book; is it good?

― Mary (Mary), Saturday, 9 July 2005 03:34 (twenty years ago)

the second one, sorry.

as for the book, in the realm of murakami's other work, i would say it's just okay.

― mark p (Mark P), Saturday, 9 July 2005 03:39 (twenty years ago)

Interesting; I'll have to look over the book at work and see if there are any resemblances.

Infamous NYU library:

http://www.gothamist.com/images/2003_10_nyubobst.jpg

― Mary (Mary), Saturday, 9 July 2005 03:49 (twenty years ago)

Love Columbia's library by night (though last time I was there they had put in a coffee shop and new wood and it seemed less bookish than before)

http://www1.law.columbia.edu/images/Communications/1ldinner/campus.jpg

― Mary (Mary), Saturday, 9 July 2005 04:00 (twenty years ago)

when was that monster built?

1990, if memory serves. That's the Harold Washington library in Chicago, which replaced the old main library which was also a monster of a neo-classical sort.

It's more impressive from up close, when you're staring up at those gigantic windows. From that angle, it reveals it's true nature: a box.

― Paunchy Stratego (kenan), Saturday, 9 July 2005 04:10 (twenty years ago)

Also, that picture was obviously taken after the infamous Library Slaying of 1997, as the perpetrator was leaving the scene.

― Paunchy Stratego (kenan), Saturday, 9 July 2005 04:13 (twenty years ago)

Another thing about the Harold Washington library: it's both boring inside and, somehow, also a maze. Terribly laid out, terribly organized.

― Paunchy Stratego (kenan), Saturday, 9 July 2005 04:22 (twenty years ago)

No one could accuse the Ottendorfer on Second Ave of gentrification:

http://www.wrybread.com/gammablablog/im05/04april/03/ottendorfer-stuyvesant-clin.jpg

It's fairly crumbling inside and has a high quotient of nutso patrons--even by NYC standards. Still, they held a lot of books for me.

― Mary (Mary), Saturday, 9 July 2005 04:52 (twenty years ago)

Just found that the above was NYC's first free library.

And that the following the McKim Mead and White-designed.

Never had much luck there though (Tompkins Sq. branch):

http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/lpc/gif/summary_photos/tompkins_sq.gif

― Mary (Mary), Saturday, 9 July 2005 04:58 (twenty years ago)

MM&W at in again at the Chatham Sq in Chinatown:

http://www.homgoldmanarch.com/image/project/thumbnails/Chatham-Library-Exterior.jpg

The second floor of this library is light and airy with beautiful windows but giggling kids and stern librarians ruin the mood somewhat.

― Mary (Mary), Saturday, 9 July 2005 05:03 (twenty years ago)

Seward Park abuts a nice LES/C'town park

http://www.nypl.org/branch/local/man/images/_se.jpg

― Mary (Mary), Saturday, 9 July 2005 05:09 (twenty years ago)

Had an unfortunate experiece at what was my local (Hamilton Fish Park) when a Bowery Mission "volunteer" attached himself to me and attempted to follow me home, at which point I had to checkpoint him at the corner deli so he would not garner where I lived.

http://www.nypl.org/branch/local/man/images/_hf.jpg

― Mary (Mary), Saturday, 9 July 2005 05:12 (twenty years ago)

the french national library is a disaster on a major scale. it looks cool from a distance but apparently wasn't designed with, um, books in mind. the first floor leaks and black paper has to be placed over the many windows so the sunlight won't damage the books.

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Saturday, 9 July 2005 05:14 (twenty years ago)

also according to the NYT its directors have been stealing and auctioning off valuable documents from the collection!

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Saturday, 9 July 2005 05:15 (twenty years ago)

Forecast for new Brooklyn library:(

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/gif/dwnbklyn2/bam1.jpg

Oh well, the old one's no great shakes:

http://martincloutier.net/newyork/MVC-435S.JPG

(Yeah, they had to sell some paitings cause the NYC government (or is it the national)--probably both--it hemoraghing civic service funds.

― Mary (Mary), Saturday, 9 July 2005 05:21 (twenty years ago)

The performing arts library at Lincoln Center is a good place to pick up dancers, I would imagine:

http://www.nypl.org/research/lpa/circ/images/lpabuilding.jpg

Schomburg center (African American) library:

http://www.nypl.org/spacerental/images/schombldg.gif

― Mary (Mary), Saturday, 9 July 2005 05:27 (twenty years ago)

I really hate the design of the NYC Performing Arts library.

The van der Rohe DC library looks amazing!

Though not nearly the same scale as the Koolhaus (or any of the other libraries here), I really liked the library in Ballard, which I also saw last week.

― C0L1N B... (C0L1N B...), Saturday, 9 July 2005 06:36 (twenty years ago)

eleven months pass...

I'm in the SEA liberry right now. Great building.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Saturday, 1 July 2006 17:07 (nineteen years ago)

Too funny Dr. Morbius - I was there for the first time yesterday as well. As I was walking down the book spiral, a woman asked me if I knew how to spell "odyssey". Some of the building elements I liked - the pillowed ceiling, the spiral concept, the diamond exterior pattern reflected in the interior metal grate half-walls. But I think when I am a Seattlelite again (later this year or next), I will not be comfortable using it as a library. A lot of the functionality of the design is geared toward the librarian/staff (not a bad thing in itself) with very little thought given to the user. I especially hated the puke lime green everywhere and the orange-red squishy furniture.

― Jaq (Jaq), Sunday, 2 July 2006 14:47 (nineteen years ago)

The library is very cool looking on the outside, but I think it's going to get dated really, really fast. Especially the interior, with all the neon yellow.

I prefer UW's library, very classic:

http://static.flickr.com/36/81422002_f9cd64ff43.jpg?v=0
http://static.flickr.com/6/5720014_d4ee624112.jpg?v=0

― musically (musically), Sunday, 2 July 2006 17:08 (nineteen years ago)

that library is also quite "dated" you could say. in other words dates /=bad.

― jed_ (jed), Sunday, 2 July 2006 17:11 (nineteen years ago)

*dated /=bad.

― jed_ (jed), Sunday, 2 July 2006 17:11 (nineteen years ago)

Just goes to show how dumb I can be -- when I was there last year, I walked up the spiral instead of down it.

― I will commence to drop a knowledge bomb. (Rock Hardy), Sunday, 2 July 2006 17:49 (nineteen years ago)

There's a difference between "dated" and "old,". jed.

― musically (musically), Sunday, 2 July 2006 19:01 (nineteen years ago)

part of me agrees with that and part of me doesn't. good design is always of its time. To say something is dated, perhaps you actually just mean you think it's bad? i can't think of a piece of good design that's not "dated" in the sense that you're using it!

― jed_ (jed), Sunday, 2 July 2006 19:17 (nineteen years ago)

There's a difference between a library and a cathedral, too, but you woudn't know it from the UW library.

― Brian Miller (Brian Miller), Sunday, 2 July 2006 19:21 (nineteen years ago)

never been in the UW library, I don't think, though I recognize the exterior immediately. seems to be popular with UFOs.

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Sunday, 2 July 2006 19:27 (nineteen years ago)

Brian Miller OTM. was it designed as a library or converted from a cathedral?

― jed_ (jed), Sunday, 2 July 2006 19:30 (nineteen years ago)

doesn't look like a cathedral, even though it looks like a cathedral

― RJG (RJG), Sunday, 2 July 2006 19:59 (nineteen years ago)

Dated doesn't mean ugly either, it generally means that at the time it was regarded as stylish/cool/whatever but didn't age well. Who knows in 50 years what people are going to think of the library.

― musically (musically), Sunday, 2 July 2006 20:06 (nineteen years ago)

The gothic elements of the UW library fit perfectly with the rest of the buildings on the quad, which all have the red brick/limestone exteriors as well.

good design is always of its time. Hm. I disagree with this, rather strongly in fact. Good design is good design. Well-designed objects/buildings/infrastructures retain functionality and incorporate scalability easily over time.

Also a building that loudly and proudly touts its use of renewable resources shouldn't have nasty squishy plastic furniture.

― Jaq (Jaq), Sunday, 2 July 2006 22:46 (nineteen years ago)

Good design is good design. Well-designed objects/buildings/infrastructures retain functionality and incorporate scalability easily over time.

this it doesn't contradinct what i said re: timeliness. but saying that architecture is good because it "retain[s] functionality and incorporate scalability easily over time" seems bizarre criteria (as far as i understand what you mean which is not much really). what does that mean?

― jed_ (jed), Sunday, 2 July 2006 23:45 (nineteen years ago)

i mean if you're saying that good design=something is adaptable i just totally disagree with you. some good architecture is adaptable but it's not fundamental of good architeecture that it is. that just seems ludicrous to me.

― jed_ (jed), Sunday, 2 July 2006 23:50 (nineteen years ago)

yes, that is nonsense

― RJG (RJG), Monday, 3 July 2006 00:18 (nineteen years ago)

that is, to hold an idea of adaptability as a main criterion for architecture, as a whole, and qualifying any building as "good", mainly for its meeting that, over any other

― RJG (RJG), Monday, 3 July 2006 00:28 (nineteen years ago)

maybe i misunderstand what "retains functionality and incorporates scalability" means.

― jed_ (jed), Monday, 3 July 2006 00:36 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.quickstream.com/images/en/title_solu_en.gif

― Tracey Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 3 July 2006 00:48 (nineteen years ago)

sorry, that was a snide response to "scalability" which must certainly be near the top of any buzzword bingo game these days.

my futon is very adaptable and scalable yet it's a crappy bed and an equally crappy couch

― Tracey Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 3 July 2006 00:52 (nineteen years ago)

maybe the bright yellow stuff is intended to vamoose you out of that area? like purposefully uncomfortable chairs in bus shelters etc?

― Tracey Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 3 July 2006 00:57 (nineteen years ago)

I'm not saying good design has to be adaptable, but I am saying that well-designed things retain functionality regardless. But you are saying that good design absolutely must ("always") incorporate elements of its time, and I disagree, particularly w/r/t architeture.

And excuse me Tracer Hand, but how exactly is your futon scalable? Because while it is, I'm sure, adaptable, I doubt very much that it is scalable.

― Jaq (Jaq), Monday, 3 July 2006 01:01 (nineteen years ago)

i don't know what scalable means then in this context. if you mean able to be changed & added to then ok. i don't see how that's a prerequisite of good architecture by any means.

"well-designed things retain functionality regardless"

i don't know what that means either, or rather i can't think of an example where it's not the case. i'm not being disingenous.

also, i didn't actually say that good architecture must "incorporate" elements of its time (that was yr word), i said good architecture reflects its time. always. but it was said in the context of not really understanding what would be bad about a building being "dated". they're all dated.

― jed_ (jed), Monday, 3 July 2006 01:18 (nineteen years ago)

futons often go from couchscale to bedscale and back again, eventually

I guess you may be thinking only or mainly of a library or similar that has some v defined functions, at the moment, and has had some v defined functions, in the past

well-designed things retain functionality regardless

is both a v broad and a v narrow statement that doesn't seem like it can mean much esp when it comes to "regardless"

― RJG (RJG), Monday, 3 July 2006 01:31 (nineteen years ago)

i mean a door handle retains the function of being a door handle unless it breaks. but that doesn't really mean it is well designed.

― jed_ (jed), Monday, 3 July 2006 01:39 (nineteen years ago)

unless it's a well designed door handle.

― jed_ (jed), Monday, 3 July 2006 01:40 (nineteen years ago)

regardless of whether the door has hinges or not

― RJG (RJG), Monday, 3 July 2006 01:41 (nineteen years ago)

i can't imagine this building being very scalable, as i understand the term

http://www.econ.nyu.edu/user/bisina/mies%20van%20der%20rohe.jpg

but it is well designed.

― jed_ (jed), Monday, 3 July 2006 01:53 (nineteen years ago)

Scalability has to do not with expanding the physical building, but how the building is designed to accommodate increases (and decreases) in the number of users and the number of books/media (in the case of the library).

― Jaq (Jaq), Monday, 3 July 2006 02:17 (nineteen years ago)

good design is always of its time = good architecture reflects its time. always.

Sorry, I was reading design in a much more general sense than strictly referring to architecture.

The Seattle library is not a comfortable, inviting public space - something I personally feel public libraries should be. As a building, I like it fine. But time will tell how it works as a library.

― Jaq (Jaq), Monday, 3 July 2006 02:25 (nineteen years ago)

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