Architecture of Public Libraries as Civic Institutions

Architectur Architecturee of Public Libraries as Civic Institutions. A study of public libraries. libraries .

Undergraduate Research Thesis Guided by Mr. Qamar Shaikh Written by Antara Patel Code no. UA 9103

As per the requirements of Bachelor of Architecture Degree at Faculty of Architecture, CEPT University

Contents Chapter 1.0 Introduction and History

1

1.1

2 4 5 6 7 17

1.2 1.3

Introduction Aims and objectives Scope and limitations Methodology Libraries through history History of libraries in India

Chapter 2.0 Planning & Design Aspects of a Public Library

23

2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4

24 26 27 38

Introduction to Planning and Design Inception and initial brief General design parameters Technology Technology and its Impact on Library Design

Chapter 3.0 Study of Selected Public Libraries in India

43

3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5

44 47 54 63 76

Introduction National Library, Library, Kolkata David Sassoon Library and Reading Room, Mumbai M.J. Library, Library, Ahmedabad Inferences

Chapter 4.0 Study of Selected Contemporary Public Libraries

77

4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5

78 79 90 99 114

Introduction Waterford City Library, Library, Ireland Palo Verde Library Librar y and Community Communit y Center, Cente r, Phoenix, USA Seattle Central Library, Library, USA Inferences

Chapter 5.0 Conclusion Conclusi on

115

Chapter 6.0 Appendices Appendice s

119

Bibliography Interviews/E-mail correspondences Illustration Credits Drawing Credits Acknowledgements

120 122 123 124 125

“The Library will endure: illuminated, solitary, infinite, perfectly motionless, equipped with precious volumes, useless, incorruptible, secret.” Jorge Luis Borges, “The Library of Babel”.

Chapter 1.0 Introduction and History

Introduction and History

1.1 Introduction Globally, the image of a public library has undergone a transformation over the past decade. The architectural prominence of the public library has become largely dependent on its multi-faceted outlook, not simply as an institute of civic importance but also as a place which can gather and serve its immediate community. One of the major factors contributing to this shift in the library visage has been the change in reading patterns brought about due to new-age technology and easy accessibility of information. 1. Asiatic Society Library, Mumbai, India.

2. Stockholm City Library, Sweden.

3. Central Public Library, Des Moines, Iowa, USA.

The role of the library as merely a civic monument, or as a public repository for books is fast fading. In its place, it is developing a new mutating role a s an urban hangout, meeting place and as an arbiter of information. The evolution of the new age library has less to do with the digital evolution of information than with the age-old need for human contact. The reshaping of information brought about due to the internet has even led the prognosticators to speculate about the ultimate demise of the library as a physical institution. But rather than declining, the urban public library is surfacing as a complex civic and social institution. New definitions for the delivery of public library services need to be understood in the context of the urban environment. Just as all new institutions, both private and public, are undergoing a shift due to the fluctuating technological and social trends, the public library is also reconsidering its position as an urban institution in the era of the internet and digitally accessible information. Along with its changing outlook, the debate also arises for its architecture. Uncertainty arises in regards to its com plex planning, due to its multiple agendas, varied material storage and accessibility for its diverse users. Small and medium scaled public libraries are developing as community centers by sharing spaces and facilities with other social organizations like orphanages, teen-centers, old age homes and even shopping malls. The new libraries serve as centers for communication where people can gather and information can be enhanced through public interaction. The vital factor changing the library design is the public oriented outlook with freer spaces as opposed to the old formal and restricted areas. 2


There is a trend amongst new library buildings to be recognized as landmarks amongst the other prominent institutions of the city such as museums or art-galleries. This development has been the result of re-evaluating the value of the library as a public space within the city. Libraries are now moving from their traditional roles of being centers of knowledge and education to places for civic, cultural and social exchange. A public library is an important means whereby the record of man’s thoughts and ideals, and the expression of his creative imagination, are made freely available to all. Ideally it should render services to all classes of the society without discriminating between caste, religion, sex, age or economic inequalities. It need not be viewed as a relic of the past or as an object of nostalgia. Rather it can be developed as an essential platform to increase equity, opportunity and community development in the information age. Each country and community needs its great warehouse of books, because we cannot predict what future generations will want to refer to, nor can we usually afford to record books in any more compact form than the original. Anything ever published anywhere ought to be preserved somewhere; the society which destroys or willfully forgets it’s published past is on the road to barbarism. We do not live in a world driven only by facts. While knowledge of such matters, as the means of adding a new chip to a computer, maybe of vital importance at various times in our lives, it does not make us into civilized people. Civilization, from which all human progress has stemmed, depends on consciousness which is largely gained from understanding not just information, but the opinions of others about facts. All other branches of human endeavor are based on critical analysis of past opinions. Human development has in a sense been enabled by extremely complex forms of textual criticism (Davey 4).

4. New internal piazza of the Morgan Library, New York.

5. The ‘Living Room’ of the Seattle Public Library

Libraries, metaphorical and literal are vital to civilization, and we must go on experimenting with forms of building in which they can be housed. Libraries, though being radically affected by electronic media, will continue to be needed and the buildings in which they are housed will also need to keep on evolving so that they can cater for ever more diverse societies (Davey 4-5). 6. Lounge seating for the reading areas in the DOK Library, Delft, Netherlands.

3


Aims and Objectives The aim of this thesis is to provide an insight into the considerations that need to be taken into account while designing a public library in the present urban context. The thesis intends to study the architectural parameters of contemporary public li braries positioned in the current urban environment and to identify the complex and diverse forces which influence its design aspects.

This thesis makes an effort to get a general idea about the position of public libraries in India currently and to look into the design issues and considerations, derived from the selected case studies, for reviving and designing new public library buildings in the immediate present and the future. This thesis; while analyzing selected contemporary libraries from other places and looking at the present standing of public libraries in India; ultimately wants to express the need for reviewing and revitalizing the public library architecture. It thus attempts to look at public libraries as civic institutions, for the varied range of users and the diverse facilities that they can provide. The thesis also attempts to study the new emerging style of library architecture arising out of the technological and social evolution.

In the past few years the amount of data stored electronically and retrieved digitally has increased largely and this has become an important factor in the reduction of the need to actually go to a particular place to seek information. Thus the function of a public library, from being merely just a source of knowledge through lending of reading materials, has diluted and become obscure. Libraries today are grappling with the need to reach out more to their immediate communities and move beyond their original standing as formal and solemn institutions. This change in the outlook of library administration has undoubtedly affected its architecture. More and more libraries are being conceived and designed as dynamic public buildings to congregate people and cater to the diverse needs of its community. The thesis identifies the two prominent factors affecting the new public library design - technology and community; along with the other necessary parameters for library design and thus tries to obtain a perspective on the changes in style and attitudes in the contemporary public library functions and architecture. 4


Scope and limitations The scope of the thesis is limited to the study of two selected public libraries from India and three selected contemporary public libraries. The study also focuses on the necessary design elements of library planning to understand the requirements and changing trends in its architecture. The National Library of India has been taken as an indicative example to understand the civic position and the forces affecting public libraries in India. The case studies selected from India are varying in size, style of architecture, outlook and location. They have been included as a part of this study to demonstrate the current position of public library buildings in India. To identify and analyze the forces affecting the changing architecture, a range of contemporary public li braries, varying in their program, location and size have been selected. Each selected case study has a unique aspect to its program and design. The study attempts to exhibit the various possible means of developing public library programs and designs in different contexts. The research is limited to access of resources available in the library of the school of architecture, CEPT University, National Library collections, online articles, internet sources, publications and e-mail correspondences Discussions with Mr. Ashim Mukherjee, library information officer, at the National Library of India, Kolkata, helped understand the problems and position of library buildings in India and gave an insight into the functioning of the Library. As there is limited material published on either David Sassoon Library or M.J. Library the information is gathered from the respective library archives and the librarians; Mr. Vivekanand R. Ajgaonkar - President Emeritus, David Sassoon Library & Reading Room and Mr. Shantibhai B. Patel - Principal Librarian at M.J. Library. Mr. David Cartoz, Architect from Bombay Collaborative, the firm in charge of restoring the David Sassoon Library, shared the information and the architectural drawings of the library.

5


Discussions with Professor R.J. Vasavada, who was initially involved with the proposal to renovate the M.J. Library, helped in understanding the library. He also shared the measure drawings and photographs of the library from his personal collection.

Methodology The study is divided into four chapters and chapter five is the conclusion. Chapter one is the introduction to the thesis, its aims and objectives and history of the public libraries in the world and in India. Chapter two is the study of general design elements and aspects of a public library design. It looks into the layout and planning of a library building and it establishes the main parameters for the analysis of the selected case studies in chapters three and four. The study is divided into two parts in chapters three and four. The analysis is not a comparative study and each library is analyzed individually. Chapter three is on the public libraries in India; general discussion on the position of public libraries in the country today, with a reference to the National Library of India, Kolkata; case studies of David Sassoon Library and Reading Room, Mumbai and M.J. Library, Ahmedabad with the architectural drawings and analysis. Inferences are given based on the parameters selected for the analysis. Chapter four is a study of three contemporary public libraries. Waterford City Library, Ireland; Palo Verde Library and Community Center, Phoenix, USA; Seattle Central Library, USA with the architectural drawings and analysis. Inferences are given based on the parameters selected for the analysis. The thesis ends with a conclusion which tries to ex plain the primary forces which affect a public library program and design in this information age. It also tries to broadly identify the changing characteristics in the architectural style and outlook of a public li brary with its shifting perspective.

6


1.2 Libraries through History

Libraries In The Ancient World - Origins

The origins of libraries as an institution are very difficult to trace through antiquity. It can generally be stated that with the recording of human thoughts, also started the concept of library, as an institution which would preserve knowledge for future use. In most ancient cultures, knowledge had an important almost sacred position. Thus each culture had some form of library whether a scholarly, priestly, royal or private collection of books. From primitive cave walls, medium of storing information evolved through clay tablets, papyrus or parchment scrolls, the illuminated manuscript, the vellum codex, the incunabula, the printed book, audio and video cassettes, microforms culminating in the digitized and electronic media.

7. Cave painting, Lascaux, France, 15,000 to 10,000 B.C.

The essential function of almost all libraries throughout history, no matter what they have been called, has been collection, preservation and dissemination of knowledge. In this sense, not only library, but even the concept of public library is as old as civilization. As always assumed, they were not merely store houses for books; they were social institutions not simply in their names but also by their functions (R.Nair 1).

Origin of Free Public Library

The concept of public library is to a large extent related to the principle of access rather than with the considerations of size, content or organization of collections. The principle ‘libraries are for all’ has existed down through the ages. Many of the ancient libraries were open to most users. Ancient libraries were public libraries only in the sense that they were at the service of those who could use them and those who cared to use them (R.Nair 2). The development of libraries can be traced parallel to the evolution of the written script. The oldest system of writing known to us is the cuneiform writing of the people of Sumeria and Indus valley which goes back to almost 3000 BC. Thousands of clay tablets prescribed with records of their systems and life styles have been excavated from those sites. Tello in Sumeria had a collection of about 30,000 clay tablets (R.Nair 2).

8. The Great Library of Alexandria was the most famed literary repository of the ancient world. Founded in circa 300 B.C. An artist’s sketch.

7


The Library of Assurbanipal at Nineveh

a

b 9. a) Site plan of Nineveh with location of Assurbanipal’s palace complex b) plan of the north palace where part of the library collections were recovered

10. Assurbanipal hunting lions - carving from the north palace courtyard wall.

Perhaps, the most important and largest collection in the ancient world was established by the Assyrian king Assurbanipal at Nineveh in 7th century BC. His library contained more than 20,000 clay tablets, besides huge collections of leather scrolls and papyri. He undertook systematic collection of all recorded information – religious, historical, geographical and scientific knowledge from all parts of the known world. They were classified and catalogued. The plan of the library, the specialized equipment, staff and the liberal provision can be compared with those of the present day public libraries. His large collection was organized for the purpose of instruction of his subects and his collection of documents was open to all people (R. Nair 2-3). Mesopotamia’s highly-developed literature and learning are demonstrated by clay tablets from the library of King Assurbanipal. The ancient Sumerian “Epic o Gilgamesh” and a nearly complete list of ancient Near Eastern rulers among other priceless writings were preserved in Ashurbanipal’s palace library at Nineveh. The collection was spread out into many rooms according to subject matter. Some rooms were devoted to history and government, others to religion and magic and still others to geography, science, poetry, etc. Ashurbanipal’s collection even held what could be called classified government materials. The findings of spies and secret affairs of state were held secure from access in deep recesses of the palace much like a modern government archive. Each group of tablets contained a brief citation to identify the contents and each room contained a tablet near the door to classify the general contents of each room in Ashurbanipal’s library. Partially through military conquests and partially through the employment of numerous scribes there was significant effort placed into what modern librarians would call collection development (The Li brary of King Ashurbanipal).

The Library of Alexandria at Egypt

Ancient Egypt had a number of libraries. A very big library existed at Gizeh in 2500 BC and in 1250 BC. Ramses II established a library at Thebes. At it’s entrance he had inscribed ‘medicine for soul’ which proves that it was open to all (R. Nair 2). 11. The Flood Tablet, relating part of the Epic of Gilgamesh 7th century BC found from the palace library collections.

The Royal Library of Alexandria, also known as t he 8


Library or simply the Library of Alexandria in Alexandria, Egypt, was once the largest library in the world. It is generally thought to have been founded at the beginning of the 3 rd century BC, during the reign of Ptolemy II of Egypt. The Library was likely created after his father had built what would become the first part of the Library complex, the temple of the Muses – the Mouseion. The library of Alexandria can be seen as the forerunner of today’s national libraries, since its mission was to collect all the important works of Hellenic civilization (Wikipedia). The library had a magnificent collection of 700,000 volumes. This library was headed by great many scholars like Aristophanes and Callimachus. Callimachus devised a catalogue with author, title and sub ject entries. This library allowed free access to people (R. Nair 3). The Library likely encompassed several buildings, with the main book depositories either directly attached to or located close to the oldest building, the Museum, and a daughter library in the younger Serapeum, which was also a temple dedicated to the god Serapis. The geographical diversity of the scholars suggests that the Library was in fact a major center for research and learning. Although the actual circumstances and timing of the physical destruction of the Library remain uncertain, it is however clear that by the 8 th century AD, the Library was no longer a significant institution and had ceased to function in any important capacity (Wikipedia).

12. Artist’s sketch of the Great Library of Alexandria

The Libraries of Ancient Greece and Rome

The ancient Greeks advanced the idea of amassing collected works owing to their interest in literacy and intellectual life. Aristotle (384-322 BC) is said t o have been the first person to collect, preserve, and use the culture of the past. Ancient geographer Strabo said “Aristotle was the first to have put together a collection of books and to have taught the kings in Egypt how to arrange a library” (Krasner-Khait. Survivor: The History Magazine). The Attalid kings formed the second best Hellenistic library after Alexandria,The Library of Pergamum, at Pergamum (Turkey), in 3 rd century BC, in emulation of the Ptolemies. Its holdings in 32 BC were documented at 200,000 books. Pergamum was actually a complex consisting of four buildings (Spoon). Pliny in his natural history describes the public li brary planned by Julius Caesar and established by his

13. Trajan’s Column, in Trajan’s Forum which was flanked by Greek and Latin libraries on both sides.

9


friend Asinius Pollio in 39 BC Pliny states that ‘Asinius Pollio had made men’s talents and mental powers a public possession.’ Caesar’s assassination prevented the creation of Rome’s first truly public library. The idea of a public library with large collection of volumes meant for common use first found practical realization in the time of Emperor Augustus who ruled between 63 BC and 14 AD (R. Nair 3).

14. Plan of Trajan’s Forum, depicting the Trajan’s column and the libraries.

Rome had only three public libraries at the time o Augustus’ death in 14 AD : Pollio’s, one in the Porticus of Octavia and Augustus’ on the Palatine Hill. When Trajan (98-117 AD) built his monumental column in 112 AD, a library; sectioned into the traditional Greek and Latin chambers; was a part of it.The collection there grew to include some 20,000 volumes (Krasner-Khait).Trajan’s Library of Peace was shaped like the apses of two churches, and provided reading space in each. Roman libraries had to be bilingual, and were usually built as bicameral edifices, one for Latin works, one for Greek, each chamber consisting of wooden bookcases housed in rows of niches (Brown-Syed). During the time of Constantine, by the 3 rd century AD, Rome possessed about 28 public libraries many of these libraries would have been found in a gymnasium - Bath. A gymnasium was a gathering place for scholars and their pupils complete with a library. The gymnasium library is somewhat equivalent to our idea of a public library. The architectural style of the gymnasium is basically a square or rectangular courtyard surrounded by a columned peristyle (Spoon).

15. Plan of the Baths of Carcalla with the location of the libraries, Rome (AD 212-216).

When the library was part of a gymnasium it often took the form of an exedra, a room added to the exterior back wall of the gymnasium with a row of columns in front. Most gymnasium library plans of Roman antiquity use the ½ round exedra of the Roman style to house the library, as in the Plan of the Baths of Diocletian. In the plan of the Baths of Caracalla a rectangular Greek exedra was used (Spoon). The Libraries through the Middle Ages

In the early 5th century AD libraries were established as part of monastic communities. Monasteries acted as centers of learning during the early Middle Ages, producing as well as preserving books, their books were numbered in few hundreds. These few books were usually kept in cupboards or small vaulted rooms, usually next to the cloisters, and dispensed to the me10


mbers of the community as required. Carrels for reading and writing were usually positioned in close proximity (Graham 72). Monasticism gave rise to an explosion of learning. In 529 AD, Benedict established a monastery in Monte Cassino and established a rule by which the monks would live which included the compulsion of book reading (Krasner-Khait). The origins of the modern institutional library can be traced to the later middle ages. The establishment of universities gave rise to the fully equipped library rooms. As more readers needed to access the books, safety for the books became necessary. A long, narrow room, usually set at the first floor level to increase security and reduce risk of damp, lit by rows of windows was provided. There were long lecterns onto which the books were kept chained (Graham 72).

16. Library of Leyden University in 1610. Print by Cornelius Woudanus: long lecterns with book storage above and below.

With the invention of printing in the 15 th century, when the number of books began to expand, it became sim pler to provide extra storage space in shelves above and below the lecterns. By the late 16 th century, in universities like Oxford and Cambridge, lecterns had become stalls equipped with seats (Graham 73).

Libraries in Renaissance

With the advent of renaissance, building a library had become a way for the princely collector, as well as the university or college, to demonstrate commitment to humanistic values and the spread of learning. Though not public in the modern sense, such libraries were usually open to the serious scholar at least; more elaborately decorated than earlier examples, they also often served as galleries for the display of works of art and curiosities (Graham 73). During the renaissance, people began to look to the Greek and Roman art istic and literary classics for inspiration. Many aristocrats of the period were dedicated to developing their private libraries. Cosimo de Medici of the famous Florentine family established his own collection, which formed the basis of the Laurentiana Library designed by Michelangelo. Also in Italy, the Vatican Library opened in the 1400s (Krasner-Khait). Renaissance brought about the wall-system of storing books. It involved moving the book cases against the walls and leaving the central space free. Bookcases were accessed using ladders. Thus it was possible to utilize the whole height of the room (Graham 73).

17. Michaelangelo, Biblioteca Laurentiana, Florence, vestibule and stairway.

18. Plan., Biblioteca Laurentiana (1523-52). Michaelangelo.

19. Wren’s Trinity College Cambridge library 1676-81. Wall shelving combined with projecting presses to provide grand version of old stall

11


The earliest use of wall cases was at the Bodleian in 1610-13 AD. Thomas Bodley rebuilt Humphrey’s li brary at Oxford in the late 1500s. It was renamed the Bodleian Library and today ranks as the second largest in the country (Krasner-Khait). The most monumental of 17th century English libraries was the library at Trinity College, Cambridge built by Wren in 167681. Here wall shelving was combined with projecting presses to provide a grander version of the older stallsystem (Graham 73). 20. Wren’s proposed plan for Trinity College Cambridge library. Early unbuilt example of concentric library .

21. Wolfenbuttel library, Lower Saxony 1706- 1710 by Hermann Korb. Early built example of concentirc library.

Until the end of the 17 th century the library was conceived as a long, rectangular space from the medieval traditions of reading spaces. At the end of the 17 th century an alternative for a centrically planned library emerged. The initial usual plan was an oval with a rectangle as at Herman Korb’s building at Wolfenbuttel (1706-10). In an alternative proposal for Trinity, Wren gave a proposal for a circular plan for the li brary. The domed building with its square shell was to be located in the center of the open court. The tables and seats formed an inner ring, the book shelves beyond were served by an outer corridor. This inspired Hawksmoor to suggest a circular plan for the Radcliffe Camera in Oxford; James Gibbs executed this plan in 1737-49. The Radcliffe Camera is part of Oxford’s Bodleian Library. The centrically planned library ingrained the idea that the building itself should demonstrate the universality and perfectibility of knowledge (Graham 73).

Prominent Libraries - 18th - 19th century

Until the late 18th century the library was essentially a large, single space, with little or no extra storage or administration spaces. The books, readers and staff co-existed in one space. The building itself thus became the principle catalogue of its contents, guiding the readers through its contents, by arranging its bookcases accordingly. The growing number of books and readers created a problem due to the rigid physical grouping of books on a set of shelves. The solution came with paper catalogue which offered permutations of arrangements far more numerous and flexible. This permitted dramatic changes in the planning o the late 18th and early 19 th century libraries (Graham 73-74).

22. Radcliffe Camera Library (1739-49) Oxford, James Gibb. Plan and front elevation.

Leopoldo della Santa’s - Della costruzione e del regolamento di una pubblica universale bibliotheca (1816), in particular, marked a turning point in the growing trend to separate out readers, books and staf 12


and keep them apart wherever possible. The surge in demand due to the rapid social and economic changes brought about a change in the library layout by placing the books in a storage stack and restricting the reader to a separate reading room (Graham 74). This period was also marked by the creation of great national libraries which often incorporated older religious or royal collections. The largest library in Britain, the British Library was founded in 1759 as part of the British Museum. The British museum until the 1800’s was largely an accumulation of various private and some royal collections, housed in converted accommodation of Montague House. A circular reading room placed within the central quadrangle of the museum was proposed. The staff sat in the enclosed space at the center, surrounded by concentric rings of catalogue and the readers’ desks were arranged radial to it. The books lined its outer perimeter and the main collection was housed in iron stacks beyond its walls. A 140 feet glass and iron dome spanned across it. Its circular plan is said to have influenced library planning into tury : for instance at the Library of Congress (1897) the Prussian State Library (1914) and the Stockholm City Library (1928). The circular reading space of the British Museum’s Reading Room, like its centrically planned forebears, compellingly suggests the ordering of knowledge (Graham 74). In France, the national library in Paris known as Bibliotheque Nationale de France began in 1367 AD as the Royal Library of Charles V. In 1865 AD Henri Labrouste designed the main reading room. The Reading Room is covered with a series of nine pendentived simple domes of terra-cotta, supported by twelve slender columns of iron, aranged in four rows, the outer columns standing close to the walls (Fletcher 1206). Amongst other libraries of prominence in the 19 th century is the Bibliotheque Ste. Genevieve by Henri Labrouste in 1843 AD it is remarkably noted as one of the greatest cultural buildings of the 19 th century to use iron in a prominent, visible way. The large twostoried structure filling a wide, shallow site is deceptively simple in its scheme. The ferrous structure of the reading room—a spine of slender, cast-iron Ionic columns dividing the space into twin aisles and sup porting openwork iron arches that carry barrel vaults of plaster reinforced by iron mesh—has always been revered by Modernists for its introduction of high technology into a monumental building (Trachten berg and Hyman 478).

23. British Museum, Library Reading Room (1825-1857) by Sydney Smirke.

24. Labrouste’s Reading Room, Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris (1856-68)

25. Section of Bibliotheque Ste. Genevieve, Henri Labrouste, 1843.

13


Labrouste’s use of industrial materials, such as cast iron columns, as prominent features in the reading room of this library, created controversy, since conventional thought at the time associated such significant building styles with dressed stone and other conventional materials.

26. Main Reading Hall of Bibliotheque Ste. Genevieve.

27. An aritst’s sketch of the Manchester Public Library, Britain, 1960.

Libraries now functioned as accumulation of parts, rather than single monumental spaces. The need was thus for flexible buildings, with the potential for ex pansion due to which in the later half of the 19th century there was a diversification of styles. Classical Libraries were joined by buildings in a gallimaufry o styles which were adapted to flexible planning like: Gothic, Renaissance, Romanesque, Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau (Graham 75). The public library movement came about in the 1850’s in Britain. There was a great surge in the number of public libraries from the last 50 years of the 19th century to the first 20 years of the 20th century. For the first time, books were made freely available to the general public at the expense of the government. Manchester was one of the first to establish a public library and ap pointed one of the main campaigners for this reform, Edward Edwards, as its first Chief Librarian. Most o the initial libraries were funded by philanthropists and charitable foundations. The Carnegie trust of Andrew Carnegie was responsible for 660 new British libraries between 1885 and 1920 (Graham 75).

Libraries in the United States of America

In 1638, a Massachusetts clergyman by the name of John Harvard, donated 400 books to a university which adopted his name and came to be known as the Harvard University thus becoming one of the oldest libraries in the United States of America. In 1731, Benjamin Franklin and others founded the first such library, the Library Company of Philadelphia. The initial collection of the Library of Congress was in ashes after the British burned it during the War of 1812. The library bought Thomas Jefferson’s vast collection in 1815 and used that as a foundation to rebuild (Krasner-Khait).

28. Harvard University Library, Massachusetts, United States of America, 1638.

It wasn’t until waves of immigration and the philoso phy of free public education for children that public libraries spread in the US. The first public library in the country opened in Peterborough, New Hampshire, in 1833. Philanthropist Andrew Carnegie helped build more than 1,700 public libraries in the US between 14


1881 and 1919.The historian David McCullough has listed the five most important libraries in America as: the Library of Congress, the Boston Public Library, the New York Public Library and the university li braries of Harvard and Yale (Krasner-Khait). Modern Libraries in the early 20 th century

Up until the 19 th century the stacks were organized on the catalogue system (closed stacks). At the end of the 19th century the open stack system was used and it became possible to browse through the books. This involved reducing the height of the shelves, moving them apart to create aisles for movement and creating a single bottleneck exit for issuing books. The modern library architecture brought about the decline of the classical idea of grandeur and ornamentation and enforced the functional simplicity of form and spaces. The need for expansion of major libraries also required the buildings to be adjustable to mutli-purpose arrangements and functions (Graham 75). One of the prominent examples of the early modern libraries is the Stockholm City Library by Erik Gunnar Asplund. Built around 1927, the structure is com prised of a round central great hall on a square plinth. The library was built poised on the edge of modernism (greatbuildings.com). Asplund’s scheme of a round hall surrounded by staircases has a great deal in common with his Lister Courthouse, completed at the same time. The first sketches for the Public Library, prepared in 1921, de pict a domed room. The substitution of a tall cylinder imparted monumental stature to the room and to the exterior of this moderately sized building, at the same time making it possible for light to be admitted through clear-glass windows in the outer walls instead of through the opaque glazing of the roof-lights (Caldenby and Hultin 92).

29. Final version of Gunnar Asplund’s Stockholm Library, grpund floor plan and section through the main stair, 1921.

30. Aerial view of the Stockholm Library, Sweden.

The maturation process of the Public Library marks an architectural turning point, the more traditional classicism of the early sketches giving way to increasing simplification. The ornamentation was gradually pared down to a few pictorial friezes in bas relief. In the simple, glazed shopfront base completed in 1928, functionalism has already made its entrance (Caldenby and Hultin 92). 31. Central cylindrical Reading Room in the Stockholm Library.

15


32. View of Viipuri Municipal Library.

33. Entry stairway and roof lights in the reading room.

Amongst other buildings of the early 20 th century, Alvar Aalto’s municipal library at Viipuri (1927-33) is also cited as an example of prominent modern libraries. There are many similarities in between Asplund’s library and Aalto’s library which include the entrance spaces, the main interior volume and its stairways and control system and the main street facing façade. The grouping of these features was done in a way which was previously unknown in the architecture of Finland. The simple and functional grouping of two volumes, the almost sacred diffusion of natural light, and the entry on the central axis are some of the distinct characteristics derived from Asplund’s library and the architecture of the modern era. Aalto’s libraries in the later years of his practice; the public libraries at Seinajoki (1963-65) and Rovaniemi (1963-1968); are also noted for their distinctly evolved style, away from his early modern influences, and their innovative use o natural light. The building was planned in two main blocks, one containing the library functions, the other the auditorium and a series of smaller committee and discussion rooms. The library space was divided by areas and levels into a control area, from which the entire li brary could be supervised and the movement of books regulated. The final buildings, while bold and clear in plan, was marked chiefly by its careful handling of lighting – so important to libraries and to conditions in the long northern winters – and its shelves, paneling, furniture and other fully integrated details. The most noteworthy features of the library were its depressed, traffic-free study room; its unique, shadow less natural illumination, provided by 57 circular light wells piercing the ceiling; and its auditorium with its wave-like wood ceiling (Guntheim 12).

34. Viipuri Municipal Library, Aalvar Aalto, ground floor plan and section (1927-33.).

16


1.3 History of libraries in India Ancient India

In ancient India the references of libraries can be traced parallel to the growth of prominent educational universities like Nalanda, Taxila and Vikramshila. These universities were important seats of learning and each had their own collection of rare documents for scholars and learned people. The trend of preserving and passing knowledge through the Vedic times had been through recitations and narrations. During the Buddhist period many learned monks and scholars began the task of recording knowledge in form of manuscripts and preserving them in Viharas (monasteries) and other places of learning. Nalanda (600 BC) was a large university with dormitories for students and teachers. It was a complex formed around eight separate compounds with tem ples, halls and class rooms. The library was located in an area known as Dharmaganja, and was noted to be a nine storied building called Ratnasagara where meticulous copies of texts were produced. Most of the description of the Nalanda University is based on the accounts of the Chinese traveller Hiuen-Tsang in the 7th century AD and from Tibetan texts. Bakhtiyar Khilji sacked the university in 1197-1203 AD and set fire to it (Siwatch 20). Taxila was an early center of learning dating back to at least the 5 th century BC. It was the seat of Vedic learning and was very significant in Buddhist tradition as well.

35. Plan of Nalanda depicting the eight viharas on a central spine with cells surrounded by courtyards and the temples.

36. View of a temple amid the ruins with stupas at nalanda

Pre-Independence Libraries

The history of public libraries in India begins with educational reforms brought about by the British rulers in the 19th century. With the establishment of various universities in many important cities, the idea of providing reading facilities to the general public was also encouraged. The first libraries were set up by the British in cities like Bombay, Calcutta and Madras in the middle of the 19 th century. However these were only accessible to the upper class bureaucrats and European members. Examples of such libraries were Asiatic Society Library at Bombay (1830), Andrews Library at Surat (1850), Gay Public Library at Gays (1855), Connemera Public Library at Madras (1866) and the Government Library at Junagarh (Walia 79).

17


37 The Bombay Branch of The Royal Asiatic Society, Bombay, 1830.

The Asiatic Society of Mumbai can trace its origin to the Literary Society of Bombay which first met in Mumbai on November 26, 1804 and was founded by Sir James Mackintosh. It was formed with the intention of “promoting useful knowledge, particularly such as is now immediately connected with India”. After the Royal Asiatic Society was established in London in 1823, the Literary Society of Bombay became affiliated with it and was known as the Bom bay Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society since 1830. (Wikipedia). However up until then this library was only accessible to the patrician members. On 15th November 1830, a journalist by the name o Joachim Hayward Stocqueler started the Bombay General Library as,“Bombay laboured at the time under the great disadvantage of being deficient of a public library to which all classes might have gratuitous access” (in P.T. Nair 8). Thus, under the chairmanship of Mr. Stocqueler, the name chosen for this institution was “Bombay General Library and Reading Room, open to all ranks, classes and castes without distinction, a respectable character, a decorous demeanour, and a strict adherence to the rules, constituting the only requisites for admission.” it was housed at the residence of Mr. Framji Cowasjee who was a mem ber. The library gradually diminished after the departure of J.H. Stocqueler from Bombay (P.T.Nair 8).

38. Joachim Hayward Stocqueler, the journalist who started the Bombay Genreal Library and Reading Room in 1830, Bombay and later set about the resolution for the Calcutta Public Library in 1836.

39. Writer’s Buildings of the Fort William which housed a library for civil servants in the early 1800’s and in 1841 also was home to the Calcutta Public Library.

Calcutta Public Library (The first liberated Public Library of India)

In 1833 J.H. Stocqueler reached Calcutta from London and found it equally deficient in having a general library for the common people. There were many well known libraries existing in Calcutta formerly. The Asiatic Society’s Library (1806) had the richest collection of books on the Oriental subjects; it was open only to its upper class members. The library in the Writer’s Buildings of the Fort William (1800) had a good collection of manuscripts and books in classical languages and it was open to young civil servants of the East India Company. The Bar Library Club in the Supreme Court was established by Longueville Clarke in 1828. In 1818 the Clacutta Library Society was established in the Town Hall, there was not a single native member of this library even till 1831. Finding the literary hankerings of the people of Calcutta unfulfilled by the difficulty of accessibility to books, Stocqueler decided to start a resolution to set up a public library, accessible without any discrimin18


tion to people of all castes, color and nationality (P.T.Nair 7-8). Calcutta Public Library was started on 21st March 1836 at the residence of one of its founders Dr. Strong on 12 Esplanade Row. The founders of this library were prominent figures of the Calcutta society including Sir Charles Metcalfe, Sir Edward Ryan, The Bishop of Calcutta, Mr. H.T. Prinsep, Sir J.P. Grant, Mr. H.M. Parker, Prince Dwarknath Tagore (grandfather of the Nobel Laureate, Rabindranath Tagore), Russomoy Dutt and Dr. Strong (P.T.Nair 15-16). Longueville Clarke stated that he knew “no measure which would show the feelings of the inhabitants of British India, - which would better show the estimation in which they held the liberty of the press, than by the establishment of a public library’ (in P.T.Nair 10) The library added a new dimension to the library movement in the world by its self-financing principle. It was a public library in the sense that it was open to people of any nationality without caste, colour distintions, for reading and consultations within its walls. This concept of a public library, run by a local body or committee, was unthinkable in India during the rule of the East India Company (P.T.Nair 19). In 1841 the Library was shifted to the Writer’s Buildings in the rooms of Fort William (P.T.Nair 99). The first public library building set up in Calcutta was started in the building known as the Metcalfe Hall (1846) as a memorial to Sir Charles Theophilus Metcalfe, Provisional Governor-General of India during 1835-36. He was merited as the person who was responsible for liberating the press in India and making

40. Prince Dwarknath Tagore (grandfather of the Nobel Laureate, Rabindranath Tagore) the first Indian to promote the Calcutta Public Library by donating Rs. 500 towards its funds.

41. Dr. Strong house on 12 Esplanade Row which housed the Calcutta Public Library initially in 1836.

English India’s official language (P.T.Nair 41). The Metcalfe Hall was designed by the Magistrate of Calcutta by the name of C.K. Robison (1841). It was a one storied building with strong Greek influences to its order from the Temple or Tower of Winds at Athens. It was raised on a solid, ornamented basement about ten feet high. A broad flight of steps led up to its portico on its west side, towards the river front and another covered flight of steps from the east entrance led up to its lobby and internal staircase. Columns and colonnade nearly surround the whole building. The lower story was occupied by the Agricultural Society and the upper by the Calcutta Public Library (P.T.Nair 55-56). It was a library for reference and circulation by com pulsion, with open stacks all around where the readers could select the books for reading on their choice.

42. Sir Charles Theophilus Metcalfe, Provisional Governor-General of India during 1835-36.

43. Metcalfe Hall, Calcutta Public Library, 1846

19


44. Peary Chand Mitra (1814-83), the first Indian Librarian of the Calcutta Public Library in 1848

Free permission was given to everyone whether a member, a stranger or a traveler in the city were welcomed in the library and were allowed to issue the books. Of course this level of open access also brought about abuse of many valuable books and later the rules were slightly amended. Peary Chand Mitra, the writer of Bengali novels, was one of the first Indian to be appointed as the Librarian of the Calcutta Public Library in 1848 and nationalist, Bipin Chandra Pal (1858-1932), was appointed the Librarian and Secretary of the Calcutta Public Library in 1890 (P.T.Nair 73, 95). The idea of the first, truly free, public library took shape in Britain only in 1850 and in New York in 1895; thus Calcutta was the first to really give seed to the idea of a liberated general library for all the people. For the next 15 years the library ran on the principle of self-financing without help from the government or philanthropists. Calcutta Public Library was a concept far ahead of its times; it was a Public Library in every sense of the term (P.T.Nair 19, 69).

The Imperial Library 45. Bipin Chandra Pal (1858-1932), Librarian and Secretary of the Calcutta Public Library in 1890.

46. Lord Curzon, the Viceroy and Governor-General of India (1899-1904)

In 1902 the Calcutta Public Library was transferred to the government and was converted into the first Im perial Library of India by Lord Curzon, the Viceroy and Governor-General of India (1899-1904). John Macfarlane from the British Museum was responsible for the amalgamation of the Imperial Secretariat Li brary (1881) with the Calcutta Public Library. Both the floors of the Metcalfe Hall were used to house the Imperial Library from 1903-1923 (P.T.Nair 198). Lord Curzon described the arrangement of the Imperial Library as such – the darker lower floor was used to store the books not in regular use with ample room to add to their number. The upper floor was used for the functioning of the Library with a room for the librarian, his staff and attendants, a room was provided for students who wanted to study or write for themselves and the main hall was used as the Reading Room o the Library and was compared with the arrangement of the Reading Room of the British Museum. The idea of the imperial library was that it should contain all the books printed about India in popular tongues, with additions that were required to make it a good all-round library for standard works of reference (P.T.Nair 71).

20


The Imperial Library established was not a lending library. Lord Curzon believed that if the library was made lending, then based on the experience of the previously established Calcutta Public Library and other lending libraries in India, most of the books returned would either be depilated or in the last stages of decay. He had also noted that 70% of the books borrowed were of fictional nature and he did not have the intention of creating a fictional lending library in Calcutta as he believed that such a library provided a desultory pastime than serious incentive and help. The library also was provided provision for electricity so that it might function till 7 p.m. in the evening for people who worked during the working hours through the week (P.T.Nair 71).

47. Foreign and Military Secretariat Building home of the Imperial Library from 1923-48.

From 1923-48 the Imperial Library was shifted to the Foreign and Military Secretariat Building at 5 Esplanade East and in 1948 it was shifted to the Belvedere Estate and renamed as the National Library of India (P.T.Nair 1, 57). With the conversion of the Calcutta Library to the Im perial and then the National Library; the first three decades of the 20th century have been marked as the golden period for history of public library movement in India. The other prominent supporter of this li brary movement was Maharaja Sayaji Rao Gaekwad III, the ruler of the Baroda state. In 1907 he declared compulsory elementary education in his state and in 1910 he invited Allenson Borden, the famous American librarian, to establish a network of scientifically organized, free and open access libraries in the state. He also established the Baroda University and the li brary of the university was also well known for its collections. His network of libraries included conventional libraries, mobile libraries, cinema libraries and manuscript libraries (Walia 79-80).

48. Belvedere, where the Imperial Library was shifted in 1948 and then converted to the National Library of India

Post Independence Libraries

The establishment of the National Library is the first and the most important event for the public library movement after the independence of India on 15 th August 1947. Though many reforms were set in motion for the development of public libraries in independent India, the rate of development of public libraries has not been as effective as other types of educational or research based libraries (Kumar).

49. Prime Minister of India, Jawahar Lal Nehru and the Minister of Education Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad at the opening of the Delhi Public Library in 1951.

21


50. Lending section of the Delhi Public Library started in 1951 by UNESCO and the Indian Government.

In 1951 the UNESCO Public Library Pilot Project was started by the joint efforts of UNESCO and the government of India, by the establishment of the Delhi Public Library, at Delhi. This was the next important stage in the development of public libraries after the Baroda network of libraries. The purpose of The Delhi Public Library was to adopt “modern techniques to Indian conditions” and to serve as a model public library for Asia. The library provides free service for all taking into considerations the modern concept o public libraries as stated by the UNESCO public li brary manifesto. In 1955 the library was permanently adopted by the Indian government, but unfortunately not much attention was paid to its growth and it thus reflects poorly on the public library scene of India (Kumar). However the library continues to tackle complexities like reaching out to the growing city through mobile vans and also functioning as a community centre by organizing discussions, debates, lectures, dramas, musical, concerts, exhibitions, and film shows for its readers. Amongst its many branches the library also claims of encompassing Community Libraries, Sports Library, Braille Library for the blind people’s association and Prisoners Library for the inmates of Tihar jail (Delhi Public Library Website).

51. Parliament Library, New Delhi, by architect Raj Rewal.

One of the prominent recent examples of landmark li braries in the country has been the Parliament Library designed by architect Raj Rewal for the Parliament House in New Delhi. The library is of course inaccessible to the common people and is strictly meant for use only to the members of the parliament and specia l guests. The architect has tried to designed this library by combining strong regional influences with modern techniques and needs. The library intends to stand as a landmark in deference to the Parliament House which reflects the power of governance of India (Menon).

22

Chapter 2.0 Planning & Design Aspects of a Public Library

Planning & Design Aspects of a Public Library

2.1 Introduction to Planning & Design Without a clear understanding of its functions and systems it is difficult for an architect to design an adequate library building. A good library fulfils both requirements of being aesthetically and practically ap pealing to its users. Essentially a library is not just a building but a service institution. With that consideration in mind the architect of a library building needs to take care of its functional and aesthetic needs (Thompson 20).

52. The choice of elemental simplicity of a facade at a Li brary at Ilhavo, Portugal; reflects on the design decisions of the archiects to harmonize the library with the context as it’s crisp, white volumes are an abstraction of the surrounding Iberian vernacular architecture.

Design is not simply a matter of self-expression but it is also about producing a solution to a particular problem. It is important to completely understand the e xact functions for which the library is being designed and the factors affecting its design to create a functionally suitable building. But it is also important to understand the tangential forces that influence the characte r and ambiance of the building in order to design an aesthetically appealing library (Thompson 20). There are two important aspects that work in the making of a library building: 1 Planning 2 Design ‘Planning’ begins with the assessment of the library’s total potential contribution to the community, the establishing of priorities and relationship with other social, cultural and educational services, securing a viable fiscal base, the siting and the organizing of the internal spaces. For public libraries the term ‘Planning’ is also met in the wider sphere of regional and town planning. Each function of the library has to be organized for its own effectiveness and for its relationship with the other operational activities (Thompson 20). ‘Design’ has artistic implications, as applied to library buildings it consists of devising a satisfactory environment in which the already planned series of operations can take place. Design cannot begin until overall area planning has been completed (Thompson 20). The service provided by the architect while designing a public library does not have a simple rational as ther e is no easily defined single purpose of a public library as an institution. Each library is unique to its community, thus the contribution of a particular library reflects something special in the nature of it’s community as well as in its direction of development. 24


The design of a library building reflects its unique role within the community and the careful and considerate planning of its functions can enhance the position of the library as a public institution. The change brought about in the technology of communication and information in the past few decades has been rapid. The computer and digital media are already playing a very vital role in the information system of the library. The diversity of the medium of information stored in a library is extensive and thus it is important to ensure that library buildings are designed sufficiently flexible to accommodate extensions, future developments, changes and multiplicity in space usage for the range of their functions.

a

Some of the vital factors to ensure while designing a library building are – environmental conditions, free floor area for altering utility by grouping services and other fixed elements, ceiling height which is ap propriate for a variety of functions, light conditions, handicap access and easy circulation, security and protection, noise control and climate control. As a civic institution, the public library building reflects on the architecture of the adjacent area. Hence the planning of the library involves other forces to be taken into consideration like siting, context, traffic patterns, movement of people, prevalent style of architecture, the impact of the library building as a public landmark and an institution to its immediate surroundings.

b

53. Retaining an old chapel and a part of a facade of an old famiy mansion; in a new public library at the Library at Ilhavo, Portugal; adds a new civic dimension to the building and responds to the conspicious Catholic community of the city. a. Facade of the old wall and the chapel from the southwest street side. b. Ground floor plan and section at scale 1:1000

25


2.2 Inception and Initial Brief

54. Diagram for allocation of space requierments derived from the information from initial program brief.

While making the program the library’s functional requirements must be kept constantly in mind. Stacking of books, reader seating, materials, access, services, security etc. are important criteria to bear in mind while resolving the space. The librarian, being familiar with the needs of the library, gives the initial brief. The architects studies the brief and understanding the limitations, makes the first tentative space allocation. The brief is a statement of purpose, with requirements in terms of accommodation, function and standards. The brief helps in providing the basic information which is necessary for the design solution and it also helps in grasping the true extent of the problems and need of the library (Thompson 33). A program is formed based on the information of the needs and requirements of the library. Aside from the objectives and the priorities of the librarian it is also important to 1. Ascertain the type of community it serves, whether it is rural or urban, special characteristics of the community, cultural patterns and the tie ups with other local organization.

55. Diagram for allocation of various facilities based on the requierments of the library derived from the program information.

2. Determine the number of users based in different age groups, the major category of population- whether students, old people, physically handicapped etc, staff size. 3. Consider the requirements on the varied kinds of users, staff and general public of the community. 4. Desired methods of storage and system of control, circulation/communication between readers and staff, and readers and books, lighting, space allocation for future expansion are some of the factors that need to be considered while deriving the initial brief.

56. Diagram for material storage based on the requierments of the library derived from the initial brief.

5. Timings of the functioning hours of the library and the pattern of use need to be determined for deciding the system for control (Konya 44-45, 50-53).

26


2.3 General design parameters Design parameters for public libraries are dependent on two primary influences. The first category is the external urban influences of the location, streets, surrounding building types and the community which it serves. This establishes the sitting, approach, style and prominence of the building within the surrounding context. The second category is the influences which directly affect the layout and internal design decisions of the library. They establish the spatial allocations, light, services, acoustics, protection and future growth of the library. The basic parameters for planning and design for a public library can be broadly categorized into two parts: A. B.

Urban Parameters Library Parameters

Urban Parameters The public library being a civic institution, there are other considerations that need to be looked into while planning for it. These parameters are based on external factors like the site, context, community and the eminence of the building in its immediate surroundings. The architectural features of the building are are a consequence of these parameters. Though there are many such factors which need to be considered while designing, these are the basic, prominent parameters which influence the design of the library. They can be categorized as follows – 1. Site and Context: • Location - immediate and city level. • Movement of the people and traffic • Response to the street – facades and site entries

2. Urban presence: • Landmark/icon/ institutional importance

3. Style: • Architectural language of the building.

4. Considerations for the Community: • Special design considerations for requirement of the community. 27


Library Parameters These are parameters which directly affect the design decisions of the library building. They are based on the requirements of the library staff and users. They provide the basic guidelines on which the structural and interior layout can be planned and developed. They can be broadly categorized as follows 1. Spatial layout • Allocation of areas a) Stacking b) Reading/ Reader Service c) Staf f and support areas d) Services (toilets, staircases, elevators)

2. Light • Natural light g) Windows h) Skylights i) Light wells j) Skin of the building • Artificial light 3. Spatial relationships, Accessibility, Circulation • Entry and exit points in the building • Movement through stack and reading areas • Segregation of user and staf f entries • Horizontal and vertical movement • Public, reader and staff movements • Handicap access provision 4. Ancillary spaces • Location of ancillary spaces • Amalgamation/division from library activities 5. Noise control • Internal noise • External noise 6. Climate control • Temperature and humidity control • Protection from dust • Ventilation 7. Security and protection 8. Expansion/Flexibility

28


A. Urban Parameters

1. Site and Context The library is an institution of service to the people of the city and has to thus respond accordingly to its surrounding forces. Therefore the situation of the building needs to be in an area which is both prominent and accessible to all the people of the city. The movement of its users and the traffic on the street are also factors which affect the placement of the building within the site. The response which the building gives to its adjacent architecture is unique to the architect’s perspective, however there is bound to be some influence from its surroundings thus resulting in certain design decisions taken to synchronize it within its context. 2. Urban Presence

57. Aerial view of the Central Public Library, Des Moines with its angular plan in the orthogonal city grid.

Size and type of the public library determine the architectural position of the building within its urban fabric. A city library may function as an icon or a prominent landmark for the city whereas a community based library can have a strong local influence. 3. Style With time there has been an evolution of library architecture from the rectangular and circular reading halls to more varied and complex building types. Many libraries which have grown or expanded over a period of few generations have become an amalgamation of different styles of architecture. Though the style of a building can be a very individual aspect; most libraries through the ages have adopted some elements which would have been typical to the era around which they were built. There are also certain key factors which can be considered as distinctive styles of library architecture from specific eras. 4. Considerations for the Community. Each community has a unique culture and a library can become a part of its legacy. A library also provides services for the people of the community and has to thus be designed accordingly for people of varying age groups, physical abilities and backgrounds. Many times these additional facilities may not be a part of the main library building but can be grouped together in a different structure with separate accessibility.

29


B. Library Parameters 1. Spatial Layout 1a. Stacking systems based on accessibility

i. open access

58. Spatial relationship of functions in a public library.

In open access libraries the policy is to place the reader as close as possible to the books which they wish to use. Generally, the material is not of exceptional value, and the requirement of supervision can, to some extent, be subordinated to reader convenience. As a result these reading rooms tend to resemble book stack areas with ‘clearings’ of varying sizes for readers. The space occupied by stacks is usually far greater than that occupied by readers. Changes in acquisition policy or in the popularity of certain parts of the collection can lead to relatively frequent changes in the furniture layouts of these areas (Thompson 148-149). ii. closed access Closed stack shelving is generally arranged to make the maximum use of space. The rare and reference material is stored in closed stacks where it is not directly accessible by the reader but has to first be handled by the librarian in charge. Compact shelving is done in most non-book material storage. Compact shelving is carried out in the three ways - revolving shelves, sliding drawers and sliding shelves or rolling stacks (Thompson 139) 1b. Reading and reader service areas

59. Diagrams representing basic heights of stacks for children’s stacking to adult area stacking.

i. Study areas The space allocation here is desired to be at its minimum. The most economical use of space is rows of study tables in the centre of a room with shelving along the walls. This restricted the number of books and was thus mostly used in special collection areas. The other option is free standing book cases in the center of the room and study areas near the windows. While it is convenient to provide seating scattered along with the stacking, the problem arises from the disturbance to the readers from the stack searchers (Thompson 161). ii. Carrels

60. Reading alcoves arranged on the periphery and stacking in the center of the Manchester Public Library.

Individual study rooms are required where serious researchers need to be undisturbed. These rooms are 30


generally equipped with equipment for typing, microform readers, sometimes computers and means for using other electronic devices. Noise control becomes an important aspect of study carrels to provide barrier against disturbing sounds. Though being spatially uneconomic, closed study carrels are an important part for a good library design (Thompson 164). iii. Browsing areas A library needs at least one area where the readers can sit in relaxing and informal surroundings. These areas are mostly meant for readers who have made a preliminary choice of books from the open shelves and then wish to sit in comfort for a short while. There are mainly two kinds of browsing areas – one which is used for simply browsing through periodicals and such material swiftly and the other which is used for a slightly longer while by the reader who needs to make a selection from the books in the open stack sections. Both the areas can be combined in many cases but while the former seating can be placed informally in the periodical sections the la tter needs to be placed near the book stacks and in relative quiet (Thompson 165).

61. Browsing area in the County Library, Wyoming, USA.

iv. Various subject departments Large libraries need to provide separate divisions for a number of special services which require more allowance for stacking books, reading tables and chairs. These could include art departments, music department, local history department, audio-visual department and archive departments (Thompson 166). v. Reader service areas All libraries need prominently positioned centers from which the staff can give services to the readers. These will have 3 main functions • Control and issue of books • Supervision of user activities and security • Bibliographical assistance to readers Control of books in a library is an important security concern for most librarians. In many single room li braries the counter was used as a means for creating a bottleneck for security reasons. However with the increase in users many libraries are using separate centers for issuing and returning books. In all libraries there will be a separate inquiry desk manned by staff to give bibliographical assistance (Thompson 167).

62. Inquiry counter in the DOK Library

31


vi. Catalouges Catalogue keeps the record of the books in the stock and the holdings of the whole system. It is a major bibliographical tool for reference and research. Traditionally the cataloguing system was based on cards arranged in shelves or as sheaves in binders.Catalogues of preceding libraries occupied a lot of space and in many cases even separate catalogue department were designed to accommodate them. Libraries are still struggling with the problem and accessibility concerns of huge catalogues. Modern libraries have adopted computer based catalogues. This requires few computer terminals to access the catalogue database and restricts the use of space to a minimum (Thompson 171). 1c. Staff and Support Areas 63. Catalouge sizes and arrangement diagram

64. Staff pantry and meeting area in the DOK Library

65. Flow diagram through process section of a library

The staff areas need to be designed keeping in mind the following necessities. i. Arrival and dispatch of materials ii. Accessioning iii. Cataloguing and classifying iv. Office areas v. Processing vi. Bindery vii. Printing department viii. Staff training section ix. Committee rooms x. Staff entrances xi. Staff rest areas In most libraries the provisions for the staff tend to become inadequate in comparison to the facilities for the books and the readers. While designing the floor layouts of the library it is necessary to provide a separate entrance and service areas like staircases and toilets for the staff. These should serve as back entrances to the libraries where the dispatch van can drive up to dispatch the books. Maintenance section is required in large libraries for elaborate service machinery and for storing cleaning equipment for cleaners. Cataloguing and binding of books are also important activities carried out by the staff and thus need to be designed accordingly to be accessible only by them. For closed stack areas and restricted book sections, where the readers are not allowed access, staff entries and control points need to be designed. Rest areas, pantry and sometimes even a staff lounge can be provided de pending on the size of the library and the number of staff working there (Thompson 177-182). 32


2. Lighting.

The lighting of a library is one of its most important and complex matters. It has to serve several entirely different purposes. It must allow reading to take place in comfort and should contribute to the internal ap pearance of the space.It should however not dazzle, tire the eye, disturb the reading atmosphere and raise the internal heat level (Thompson 116). 2a. Natural lighting

Fenestrations of the building play a very important role in its interior lighting quality. Some architects believe that reading areas require no natural lighting and it’s both physically and psychologically acceptable to have a windowless space for it. Sometimes windows are also looked upon as being distracting for the serious reader or researcher. Direct sunlight is not as favorable as indirect or reflected light from light-wells, interior courts or even atriums within the library. The clear storey atrium is a classical method of obtaining indirect natural light (Thompson 83).

66. Roof lights in the Mount Angel library, Oregon by Alvar Aalto, bring daylight in the reading galleries below.

A large percentage of glass in the exterior facades increases the heat levels in the interior. Skylights are also another means of obtaining natural light. Glare and excessive contrast are the disadvantages of natural lighting. These are hindrances to reading, thus it is advisable to avoid full length, complete glass windows but to instead control the size and position based on the kind of seating and reading areas within the library (Thompson 84-85). 2b. Artificial lighting

This is normally placed and selected so as to avoid discomfort and glare. The main points of placing light points aside from the obvious reading areas are a. Bookcase lighting : Illumination of bookshelves requires to fall on the vertical surfaces of the books and no light should shine into the eyes of people choosing books. They may include general lighting fixtures or even individual light sources above the book shelf. b. Stack lighting : These are normally arranged parallel to the stack length, above the stacks on the ceiling or in between two rows of stacks. c. Lighting for open access area : In areas with high ceilings where bookshelves form alcoves against walls and each alcove has a reading table in the centre, fittings hang from, or mounted on the ceiling can give enough light on the tables.

67. Individual desk lamps for personalized reading in the Main Reading Room of St. Genevieve Library.

33


d. Aisle lighting for circulation : This is normally coordinated with the stack lighting and arrangement. e. Lighting for study carrels : They are provided as individually controlled lighting points, which provide preferably, shadow free, reflected lighting. Top light in the form of daylight can also be considered for individual study areas (Thompson 121-124).

3. Circulation

These aspects are basic to the design of a library: 3a. Space implication of stack planning. 3b. Human movement 3a. Space implication of stack planning.

68. Progress of materials through the library in different sections

Connection between service stations on each floor and book stacks. Various means like trolleys, conveyor belts and book-lifts can be considered for the main accessibility of material in cases of larger areas. The freedom of access and restriction between the large masses of books and a large number of readers needs to be planned. There are classical alternatives to the relationships between the reader spaces and stacks; such as i. Reading room above and stacks below ii. Central reading room surrounded by book stacks iii. Reading room in front and book stacks behind iv. Book stacks in the form of a tower with reading rooms in what is virtually a separate building v. Centrally placed book stacks with surrounding reading rooms (Thompson 79).

3b. Human movement The movement of people within the library is of vital importance to its design. Horizontal circulation of people is normally taken into account while dealing with stack positioning and reading spaces. The structural grid of the building also helps in making public movement either easy or restricted (Thompson 53).

69. Progress of readers through a medium sized public library

Supervised entry and exit points into the library, control of human movement and possible division of user and staff movements in certain areas is required to be planned so as to ensure a comfortable accessibility to the facilities. Handicap access and enough space provision between aisles for wheelchairs should be kept in mind, with provision for ramps and elevators. 34


4. Ancillary areas

Other than the functional areas of the library, in larger libraries there are usually other additional public amenities which are provided within the library design. These facilities are not simply restricted to the library readers and the staff but are more public in their nature. They are open to the community at specific times or days and may work separately from the library working hours and have sometimes different entrances and accessibility. Many of these spaces are used to promote the library activities and also to enhance the cultural and intellectual need of the community. These facilities are provided keeping in mind the varied age group of its users and the need of the community. Its location in the library design can become a means to enhance the architecture of the library as a landmark within its context. Some examples of the ancillary amenities are -

70. Children’s play area in the DOK Library

i. Entrance hall ii. Book display iii. Exhibition areas iv. Lecture rooms v. Theatres vi. Recreational facilities for readers vii. Book shops viii. Story telling sections/children’s section

5. Noise control

71. Auditorium in the Seattle Central Library

5a. External noise

Most buildings these days are close to sources of external noise like busy roads, traffic, closely spaced buildings and even sometimes railway stations and airports. In libraries noise control is considered to be an important factor. External noise can be reduced by designing suitable enclosing walls and by planting a good amount of trees and shrubs in its vicinity.External noise is generally difficult to control and avoid completely (Thompson 113). 5b. Internal noise

An environment acceptable to the readers includes a noise level that is familiar and not obtrusive to them. High double volume areas like the old fashioned domes and atriums are responsible for echo. Sound absorbing materials like acoustic tiles, carpets, curtains and other forms of softer materials significantly help in reducing noise levels. 35


Sound insulation can also be carried out by using baffles in ducts and breaking up of areas with partitions and book cases. A wall of books and book alcoves suffer fewer reverberations than normal open areas. Most readers are disturbed, both visually and aurally, by movements of other readers around the library. Noise is carried from one floor to another via light wells and double volumes. Readers are constantly aware of the movement of other people in the vicinity (Thompson 114-115).

6. Climate control

Books and other reference material are safe in temperatures as low as humans can tolerate. The great dangers to library materials are excessive heat and humidity, very low humidity and the effect of air pollution. Due to direct sunlight and glare balconies, vertical screens, fins or louvers or even closely placed columns help in reducing the amount of harsh light and heat inside (Thompson 108).

72. Horizontal louvers used in a partition screen to shade the internal areas from glare through the glass facade and give filtered light in the Montreal Bibliotheque, Canada.

Low humidity is often responsible for drying of paper as well as vellum parchment and damaging to papers made from wood pulp. The comfortable humidity levels are around 45-50% in libraries. For unusual materials like films, slides etc. special considerations need to be taken in designing their storage. Natural ventilation while being useful and required also brings about the problem of dust. Books and reading material need to be protected from dust and the exclusion of dust is a priority in certain parts like microform storage room (Thompson 110).

7. Security and protection

Security of the material stored in the library is vital, however higher degrees of security diminish to a certain extent the readers freedom of access and movement (Thompson 127). These categories are of importance when it comes to the security of a library a. Natural forces like fire or floods b. Outside thieves and vandals c. Readers within the library

73. Facade of the Montreal Bibliotheque with the external glazing and internal louvered partition used for shading.

Natural threats can be to a certain extent controlled by the design and materials used in the building as well as facilities like smoke alarms and fire extinguishers. Emergency exits and special storage in case of flood36


ing are also necessary. However the most common threat is that of reader hazards like book theft and mutilation of valuable books and reference materials. The floor layout is hence also designed keeping in mind the controlled exit and entry points, baggage check and deposit, security sensors and check out counters. In most cases it is advisable not to have more than one access point and for it to be close to the check out counter. A core designed with the access point on the landing of the vertical circulations like staircases and lifts is considered ideal rather than having scattered circulations and thus multiple entry and exit areas. Separate access can be provided for ancillary spaces but a very controlled and regulated circulation and layout needs to be developed for the main library, housing the information and materials.

8. Expansion/Flexibility

Digital information and technology have aided in compacting printed material into micro chips and disks but it has not reduced the quantity of printed material or the requirement for space and storage in a library. With the growing number of printed material, technology and population of readers most libraries are struggling with expansion and growth concerns. Expansion is a factor that needs to be considered during the initial planning stages of a library design. Expansion is a primary requirement in two kinds of spaces in the library, the stack/collection expansion and the public area expansion. Flexibility in design and layout is necessary for planning future expansions. Building an extra wing on the existing site, addition of further floors to the building or remodeling of the old building are some examples of physical ex pansion of the building for more space. But a good planned library building need not always require extensive physical extensions; rather it can have flexibly designed interior spaces and areas which can support future growth of both the library collections and readers while retaining the original structure. Structural choices within the building framework can also aid to flexibility and expansion. A column-free span can have more scope for flexibility in its space use than an area with regulated columns. Another option is to provide underground expansion through basements by shifting stacks or reading rooms there (Thompson 47). Designing multipurpose areas which can be used for more than one fixed purpose is also a means to ensure adaptability and future changes for growth.

74. Bookshelves on wheels in the DOK Li brary for flexibility of layout and they can be moved around to make space for activities like story hour.

37


2.4 Technology and its Impact on Design

“The future will spell not the end of the book but a period of new equalities” (Koolhaas 612).

The strong illusion carried by many in today’s information era is the dissolution of the physicality of a li brary as an institution. While the library will thrive in the realm of the cyber space and tomes will be bundled into miniscule packages as microchips, the physical presence of a library building cannot be looked upon as obsolete. The library might acquire the new-age title of ‘Information Center’, but that will not change the basic idea of a library – which is to assemble and impart knowledge. The means of assembly and im parting of information will undoubtedly differ. Spatial Implications

Space proportions and its use is the first factor which is affected by this infiltration of technology. With the extent of information increasing there is a simultaneous decline in the amount of space required to store it. The collection of a library can be now stored on a single chip and a single library can store information of all libraries. The impact of this phenomenon is tremendous. It means that a library can now be conceived as a single computer terminal, a multipurpose room or a dynamic public building which has more than simply aisles upon aisles of book stacks. The minimization of space due to technology does not make the library redundant but it gives it the opportunity to develop its individual character in regards to its context, community and services. The library building does not diminish in its proportions; rather the vestigial spaces are supplemented with supportive and activity related functions. In many cases the vestigial spaces are evolving into a species of their own, with mediums other than books thrusting their way in as means of giving information.

“At the moment when the electronics revolution seems about to melt all that is solid – to eliminate all necessity for concentration and physical embodiment – it seems absurd to imagine the ultimate library” (Koolhaas 606).

For a considerable time period digital information was looked upon as an aggressor to printed material. Now libraries are slowly modifying with the understanding that digital information is not a threat to books but technology can be used to aid the cause of preserving and promoting knowledge. Digital cataloguing, digitizing old printed books and manuscripts to avoid wear and tear, accessibility of digital bibliographies from other libraries are few of many advantages that technology offers in aid to printed material. It means that the book can be kept in a revered position and technology can be used to strengthen its life and make it accessible beyond the library walls. 38


All living libraries have to grow. This means that they become full of books and papers. Then they have to either expand physically or decide to locate parts of their collection in other places. These problems are somewhat resolved by technology like microfilm and fiche and a whole new spectrum of electronic recording and publishing devices, which have special needs for storage and display (Davey 4). Where information itself has become digital and virtual, the technology which supports it is still very much physical and requires space to be stored. Printed material is getting electronic but the electronic devices like CD’s, DVD’s, laptops, music-stations, scanners, printers, computer handled book retrieval systems all require space to be accommodated. Thus the overall space requirement of a library is not lessened. The basic requirement today for a modern public library is to give provisions for laptops or computers to a majority of its readers. This means that the space, saved from replacing a number of books with digitized versions, goes into providing for individual terminals and other technological gadgets. Support, mechanical and maintenance areas for these machines and equipment are also required and technology like book conveyor belts to handle book drops and retrievals require more floor space than a simple manned book counter.

75. Computer terminal in the DOK Library.

Changing Characteristics of Library Spaces

With technology giving a variety of means to access information the difference is also noted in the behavior of the users while accessing information through different mediums. A person surfing the internet, or browsing for music and visual media does not require the same insulated atmosphere as a serious reader, scholar or a researcher. It gives the smaller community based libraries the opportunity to be casual, interactive public spaces and larger public libraries to have a variety in the character of their spaces ranging from user-friendly and liberated public zones to more private and reserved study areas. Architecturally this change means that a library layout is not merely defined by a place to store and a place to read. Many new library designs have a more compartmentalized space division with different kind of reading and different type of material accessibility. It is not merely an act of throwing in a ‘computer room’ in an existing library but more of remodeling the program, grouping of functions and space defining to make a synergic library building.

“The Very Big Library is interpreted as a solid block of information, a repository of all forms of memory - books, laser disks, microfiche, computers, databases. In this block, the major public spaces are defined as absences of building, voids carved out of the information solid. Floating in memory, they are multiple embryos, each with its own technological placenta” (Koolhaas 616).

39


Experimental Concepts

The debates in the changing modes of the public li brary outlook have initiated some new concepts in library design. One such successful example is the multimedia center - DOK Library Concept Center, designed by the Dutch firms DOK Architecten and AEQUO Architects in Delft, Netherlands.

76. Entrance to the DOK Library with the glazed facade overlooking the adjoining public square.

77. Shops and cafes towards the street facing side with ap partments for for dwelling on on the first and second second floors floors

Built in 2002, the media library is a part of the Hoogoven Building (former blast-furnace building), 1970 which stands on Cultuurplein (culture square) in the centre of Delft, which also houses shops, restaurants and cafes, apartment and bicycle storage sections. The entrance to the building is placed 2 meters in front of the old front façade and is emphasized by a tall glazed façade screen printed with the image of books arranged on their spines. In the middle of the building the stairs – which double as seating for events), a public café and a public stage together form an open plaza beneath a striking glazed roof. Color and light have been used to make it easier for visitors to find their way around and to accentuate the distinctive shell. The shelving is designed to allow for a fronton presentation of all the media: instead of a row of spines there is an enticing display of front covers. The library is divided into several departments and collections each having their own individual identity while remaining a part of the whole. The collections have been arranged so as to create several smaller spaces with their own individual atmosphere (Architecture in the Netherlands Nether lands Yearbook Yearbook 2007/08 31). DOK can best be described as a media center that combines three unique collections: Music and Film -“Discotake” in Dutch, Literature - “Openbare Bibliotheek”, and Art - “Kunstcentrum”. These three components make DOK much more than an ordinary library. (Boekesteijn). It has succeeded in letting go of the idea that the medium which it lend’s out will define what it is. Hence books are not given the primary position as mediums of ssharing haring knowledge. Books share space here with every other medium of information, including art, digital and visual mediums. Hence by replacing the term ‘library’ with the term ‘Multimedia Center’, DOK has tried to disassociate itself from the fixed perspective of looking at libraries as only being places for books.

Site plan of the DOK Library 40


When a person enters the library premises, via Bluetooth a message is sent to his cell phone – “Welcome to the most modern library in the world”. There are various sections like a section dedicated only to romance novels which is done entirely in red and a bright-lit area for graphic novel section. There is a kids’ room which is done in blue with no chairs but a rug thrown on the floor with pillows, the children’s book stacks are designed on wheels (which allow children to stand on them to reach on higher racks) so as to change the arrangements to make space during story times and the staff areas are done in purple (Levine).

78. The art section - “Kunstcentrum”, “Kunstcentrum”, of the library with its circulating art collection.

There are Play stations and x-boxes for both children and grown-ups and specially designed, swiveling chairs are fitted with video pods to download and listen to music or videos. There is a Coffee Corner and a ‘Genius Bar’ which is set up to help people with technology. There is an RFID system for both cards and books and the book check out and a nd retrieval re trieval systems are operated through RFID sorters and book conveyors. The RFID system also allows users to swipe and load money onto their library cards so as to use them for fines, at the café etc. The art section has a circulation collection also and there are lectures, readings and musical performances almost every week (Levine). DOK’s DOK’s Director, Eppo believes that “libraries are (for the most part) all about not having fun.” At DOK, they deliberately turned this stereotype on its head. Instead, their theory is that “life is all about having more fun than you can think of, and it starts at the library” (in Levine).

entrance

All level plans of the DOK Library 41


79. Reading section of the library with the glazed roof.

83. X-boxes and Playstations provided for kids and adults

80. Reading tables arranged between enclosing book stacks and provided with computer terminals for search or surfing.

84. Media collection -“Discotake”, with CD’s and DVD’s for films and music.

81. Children’s reading area with a rug and pillows for relaxation and no chairs or tables.

85. Multimedia chairs designed for listening and downloading music and videos.

82. Romance section interiors done in red.

86. Swiveling chairs designed with computer terminals provided for browsing or surfing the net.

42

Chapter 3.0 Study of Selected Public Libraries in India

Study of Selected Public Libraries in India

3.1 Introduction The foremost of challenges while designing or drafting a program for a public library in any part of India arise due to the cultural, economic, social and educational diversity of the general populace. The ideal notion of a public institution providing free service to people of all backgrounds and age groups is thus disrupted; generating the primary need to question and revive the notion of an ‘Indian Civic Institution’ parallel to the Indian civic sense and culture. Most civic institutions like municipal buildings, judicial courts, political buildings etc. are specific in the nature of their functions and thus their architecture reflects accordingly. However a public library today has undergone a tremendous shift in its core nature with the fast developing technology and the new millennium cultural potpourri arising out of this technological globalization. In the Indian scenario this bizarre struggle to digitize, globalize and urbanize existing and new public libraries is perhaps the most turbulent turning point on the path of reshaping the notion of Indian public space. Public libraries of the yore, built either as depository of literary works, imparters of education or as idle browsing halls for periodical and newspapers have suddenly been shaken awake to the changing dynamics of the new-age public library. Where technology has leaped and bounded into a new information re volution, the social and economic disparity of most parts of the country is still slow to change. In most present cases of public library rejuvenation globally, the key change seems to lie in the library metamorphosis from a collection oriented institution to a service oriented institution. Formerly defined as a reserved establishment serviceable to a specific category of readers and scholars in a specific kind of an environment with clearly defined functions, the public library today has become far more ambiguous, flexible and open to the needs of its general community. Easy accessibility of information digitally without the need to physically go to a specific place has contributed to this change. Public libraries in India share the common problems of the need for expansion, maintenance, accessibility for its varied users and the fear of becoming redundant in this time of digital information. While many are still to realize the need to reshape their programs along with their buildings to meet with these new hurdles, few have already begun the process but with haphazard results. 44


Are we a reading culture? Who goes to a library? - are few of the constant questions that are being debated in the process of re-inventing the library outlook. Indeed while having to design a new public library or reshaping an old one, the question that stands most confusing yet of primary importance is - who goes to a public li brary? The answer will differ in each situation depending upon the location, development, literacy levels and the facilities which the library wants to provide. Who goes to a library will depend a lot on what the library provides. Hence a program can be facilitated based on the needs of the community and also on the services that it could provide. ‘Are we a reading culture?’ is not a question that can get a direct answer. We were never a mall culture or a consumerist culture, yet we developed that when shopping malls, retail outlets, fast food chains and multiplexes overtook. In the information age, reading per say does not require a library and this fact needs to be accepted. Most people who go to a library; whether they be students for the purpose of studying, scholars for research, children for entertainment or old people for meeting friends and relaxation; go there for the environment and services which the library provides. People who really wish to read a book can very well issue it out and bring it home to read which is the case with most readers. But the desire is to read or access information in a friendly, relaxing atmosphere which may also serve other facilities on the side. The one direct answer that we do have is that we most definitely are an ‘information culture’ and visual media has never been as dominant as it is today, in this information age. Another factor that differs in the Indian notion of a civic space and the globally defined public institution is security and fear of abuse - a reason why all public libraries - except the National Library - despite whether being philanthropically patronized or supported by the government charge a minimal amount of fees and have either stringent restrictions or a lack of certain facilities to prevent misuse to its collections and property. It is also an important aspect to bear in mind that a public library can be noted as an icon or a landmark in the city’s civic architecture, though this might vary with its scale and position. As a public institution there are various urban factors that affect its planning and design strategies.

45


These factors have been kept as a framework for the selection of the case studies in this chapter. The criteria for understanding and providing for public libraries in rural settings is different from those located in an urban context. Regional influences are strong in a public library in any part of India, where in many rural parts of the country it might seem useless to provide complicated and expensive technology to the readers who might be lacking at a basic literacy level. This thesis focuses on studying public libraries located in urban contexts. The National Library, Kolkata which falls under a separate sector from the public library sector has been selected as an example due to its primary importance as a national civic institution, the problems that it faces in its growth as a public institution and the solutions that it has deemed necessary. Though it is not a direct case study as its scale and outlook vary from that of a general city or community public library, it has helped in understanding and providing a background for the situation of urban public libraries generally in India as an indicative study. The two principally selected case studies are both public libraries in urban contexts. The David Sassoon Library and Reading Room, Mumbai is a small scale public library, privately supported by a group of trustees and patrons with minor grants from the government. The M.J. Library, Ahmedabad is a relatively larger public library and is supported completely by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. Both these libraries have a common set of concerns which they face and also have slightly varying issues due to the difference is their scales and the levels at which both individually function. The architecture of both is a reflection of their time periods. Both libraries today are struggling and experimenting with the need for ex pansion, growth and renovation of their buildings as well as in the need to develop as attractive, functional gathering spaces for information seekers and mem bers of the community. The parameters mentioned in Chapter 2 are used as a method to analyze the two case studies. The case studies are individually analyzed and are not a comparative study. The inferences for this chapter are drawn at the end of the case studies in a tabular format based on the selected parameters for analysis.

46


3.2 The National Library, Kolkata Introduction

Post independence in 1948 Shri C. Rajagopalachari, the then Governor-General took the initiative to suggest the home of erstwhile Lieutenant-Governors and Viceroys of Kolkata, Belvedere as the future home of the National Library of India (Kesavan 28-29). Belvedere, which traces its history as far as the 18th century as the home of Warren Hastings the Governor-General (1774-1785), is located in Alipore, in Kolkata. The first Prime Minister of independent India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru gave the following directive to his government during the commencement of relocating the Imperial Library to the Belvedere as the National Library – “I do not want Belvedere for the mere purpose of stacking books. We want to convert it into a fine Central Library where large number of research students can work and where there will be all the other amenities which a modern library gives. The place must not be judged as something just like the present Imperial Library. It is not merely a question of accommodation, but of something much more.” (in Kesavan 29). The formal opening of the National Library was performed by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the then Union Education Minister on 1st February 1953.

87. Steps leading to the main entrance on the south side of the Library.

There were many counter arguments since the days of the Imperial Library to shift it to the country’s capital, Delhi. Established during the time when Kolkata was the capital of the country, the Imperial Library firmly took its roots there and as the National Library it remained there as Kolkata’s literary and cultural settings ensured its patronage and growth.

The First Library

Remodeling of the Belvedere mansion took four years where new steel shelves were designed for storing books, new wooden furniture for reading, the old wooden flooring was replaced with concrete flooring covered with linoleum to reduce noise and provision of indirect lighting for the reading areas was done. The central banqueting hall which was nearly 114 feet long was turned into the main Reading Room (Kesavan 31). The main façade of the Belvedere is in the Italian Renaissance style and it has entrances with huge flights of stairs leading to it from both north and south.

88. Location of the National Library in Kolkata.

47


However after it was converted into the National Li brary the south entrance was used and the north entrance remained closed. The south side entrance initially faced a lake and park but the lake was later filled up to be converted into a garden in 1948

89. Reading alcoves in the main Reading Room of Belvedere.

90. The Indiana Collection in the entrance hall of Belvedere.

The library had several stack rooms on its various floors and the largest of them was on the ground floor which was many-pillared and had marble flooring. For space management and to preserve the old flooring steel rolling stacks were designed which also served the purpose of flexibility. The entrance hall was converted into an Indiana collection which had around 6000 books in all languages of India and those in English pertaining to India. The main Reading Room had a long central table for reading and alcoves on the sides where individual reading areas in between reference materials was provided. Each alcove had a specific subject and had plaques of famous regional writers in many languages fixed above them. The individual reading tables had all been provided with local lighting. Research carrels were provided in the balcony of the Reading Room made out of aluminum. This Reading Room had a capacity to accommodate about 350 readers. The library also had a huge catalogue area, Bibliography and Reference Division as well as a Bindery. The old location of the Imperial Library at Esplanade 5 was used as a Newspaper reading room and in 1960 a children’s library was opened in one of the ground floor rooms. The Extensions

With time the library needed to expand and thus a new Annexe building was built in 1964 in the same premises as the Belvedere. This building has 8 floors; accordingly the floor wise divisions are -

91. Model of the new Annexe Building built in 1964.

92. The Annexe Building built in 1964.

1. Map and prints division, a rare book reprography and science and technology section 2. A reading room 3. Stock verification 4. Asutosh Mukherji collection 5. Gift exchange 6. Newspapers and Gazettes 7. Asian and European languages other than English 8. Languages Chinese and French, Journals section It is clear that the Annexe building was made chiefly for storage and stacking rather than reading and the main Reading Room was still located in the Belvedere till that time 48


93. Reading Room of the National Library at Belvedere, which was formerly a Ball Room, with the long central table, the reading alcove s on the sides and the individual carrels in the balcony above.

94. A wooden bench designed for seating in the Reading Room.

97. Reading tables fitted with local light fixtures with indirect light for comfortable reading.

95. Carrels arranged in the balcony above the Reading Room against a series of windows.

98. Individual carrels fitted with light sources for reading.

96. Entrance to the Children’s Library at the ground floor level of Belvedere.

99. The Children’s Library reading area.

49


100. View of the north side entrance and facade Belvedere which was closed when the National Library was shifted there.

101. View of the south side facade and the main entrance of National Library, Belvedere.

103. The grounds on the north side.

104. View of the north grounds from the terrace of Belvedere.

105. Main entry gate of the National Library site from the north. 102. View of the east side facade of National Library, Belvedere.

106. North entry of the Belvedere.

N.T.S. 107. Site plan of the National Library from 1987 when the initial proposal was given for a phase II extension building (Bhasha Bhavan) for the Library.

50


The Prashasan Bhavan was opened in 1989. It has 3 floors with a bindery and store on the ground floor, computer division on the first and a Punjabi, Telugu and Hindi language stack with a small reading room on the second floor. Again the Prashasan Bhavan was made to accommodate technical and stacking necessities rather than to expand or refine the reading areas. Both these extensions were made by the CPWD and they poorly reflect and even fail to take into account the main existing National Library building with its well developed grounds and its Italian Renaissance style. Their placement on the site of the library and their poor visage makes them almost inaccessible. In terms of planning it seems a bad decision to place them accordingly as the main entrance to the library comes after crossing the Annexe and the Prashasan Bhavan. Thus one needs to move backwards in the grounds after going to the main library to access these buildings. The Belvedere, though not initially built as a library building, was properly remodeled to provide adequate spaces, proportions, lighting and functions of a good library. Further, its magnificent architectural characteristics made it an appropriate structure to house the nation’s First Library, thus elevating it to the position of a national landmark. In comparison t he later extensions stand as examples of poor planning and inadequate considerations of both library and institutional design.

108. The Prashasan Bhavan built in 1989.

109. Bhasha Bhavan entrance staircases.

The New Library Building

With such expansions taking place and the growing number of readers the need arose to provide slightly more varied facilities and larger reading space to the readers. In 1994 the work started for building the Bhasha Bhavan and by October 2004 the Main Reading Room and the stacks were shifted from the Belvedere to the Bhasha Bhavan which was located after the Prashasan Bhavan in the National Library grounds and is nearly one and half times larger than the Belvedere. The Belvedere meanwhile was almost stripped apart of its old furniture and stacks as the place was in need of considerable repairs and restoration. The building is classified as a heritage structure and falls under the jurisdiction of the Archaeological Survey of India and is therefore inaccessible except for the Director’s office, the administration office, the accounts division and the children’s library which still remain to be shifted to the Bhasha Bhavan. There is a speculation to partly restore it and convert it into a museum, but as of now the building remains neglected.

110. Steps leading to the podium level and the main entrance.

111. Main entrance door to the Bhasha Bhavan. 51


112. Browsing area in the new reading room with the sofas arranged next to the glass facade and the high ceiling lights.

113. Study tables arranged in one part of the reading room where there is no provision for individual reading carrels.

114. Open stacks with periodicals and journals arranged to form a partition between the reference, browsing and study areas.

115. Reading tables arranged between open stacks in the reference section of the reading room.

The Bhasha Bhavan is accessed by two adjoining steep flights of more than 30 steps with elevators provided at the back entrance which are difficult to l ocate from the main entry side. Both the flights lead up to a podium on the first floor level where the entrance to the library is located. This leads into a double volume foyer which has a security and baggage counter. The entrance façade is formed of black tinted glass panels and provides insufficient light to the interior foyer and the main reading room. The foyer leads into an atrium space from where the reading room is accessible. The main stacks are in the basement and the ground floor of the library and are not directly accessible to the readers. There is a book lift system with 4 dumb waiters and 2 service elevators which requires a reader to fill a particular slip and deposit it in a collection counter. From there it is put in the dumb waiter and passed to the stack levels where the required book is found and sent up to the service counter via the dumb waiter. The new reading room, which is centrally air conditioned, is designed with ample but haphazardly planned space. The reading areas and stacks are arranged in a confusing manner. The volume of the space causes sounds to echo and no sound proofing has been done either in the floors or the ceiling. The general reading is provided on the north side of the library which also has the tinted glass façade. Inside the reading room, the browsing area is arranged in a double volume space next to the glass façade and hence the quality of the direct light is poor for reading. The discomfort is notably marked in the reluctance of readers to sit so adjacent to a tall, imposing wall of glass. The electrical light in the other reading areas is insufficient and there is no provision for personalized indirect light for individual reading. The basement also contains a Rare book section and temperature controlled vaults for manuscripts with their own reading areas. Again while ample provision has been made for storage and reading very little thought has been given to the quality and needs for the design of these spaces. This is remarkably observed in the difficulty which many senior citizens face in accessing the library premises and in reading in the poor, insufficient light. The library catalogues have yet to be computerized, although the process has already started. With 25 lakhs of books and reading material in the library’s collection the space requirement for card catalogue shelves is more than that of the reading areas, and makes information seeking that much more tedious. 52


Under the Delivery of Book Act, the National Library, Kolkata and its recipient Public libraries i.e., Delhi Public Library (DPL), Connemara Public Library, Chennai and the State Central Library, Mumbai are the depositories of the printed cultural heritage of India. Which means that any material printed in India requires a copy to be sent to these libraries. Thus the National Library stands out as the largest single library which acts as the depository as well as the repository of all published material of India (Majumder 3). The catalogues thus will continue to expand tremendously in size and require a lot of space if they are not re placed by computerized catalogues with digital search methods. An auditorium is provided on the ground floor from the back entrance and a conference room is provided on the fourth floor with offices for the staff and administration while the in-between floors have been provided for various collections and open stacks. But except for the reading room all the other parts of the library are yet to be put in use as the shifting of the stacks from the Prashasan Bhavan and the Annexe still needs to take place and consequently the rest of the building remains closed up.

116. Open stacks for periodicals and journals with reading tables arranged in-between the stacks.

117. The back entry ramp to the Bhasha Bhavan opposite the Prashasan Bhavan.

Bhasha Bhavan

118. The Bhasha Bhavan as seen from the terrace of the Belvedere.

Belvedere

119. Sattelite image of the National Library site indicating the Belvedere and the Bhasha Bhavan in red. 53


3.3 David Sassoon Library and Reading Room, Mumbai Introduction

120. David Sassoon (1792-1864), the Jewish merchant who was the principal patron of the Sassoon Mechanic Institute.

The history of David Sassoon Library and Reading Room goes back to 1847 when a few young mechanics working in the Royal Mint and Government Dockyard conceived an idea to form an association to promote knowledge. The association’s objectives at that time were to set up a library and a museum of mechanical models and architectural designs, as well as to organize lectures and discussions on science and technology. This organization was known as the Bom bay Mechanic’s Institute. This institute was housed in the old clock-tower of the Naval Dockyard Building on the Marine Street, Fort (The Sassoon Mechanics’ Institute). In October 1863, Mr. David Sassoon, a wealthy Jewish merchant of Bombay, funded Rs. 60,000 to the Government in aid of the Mechanics’ Institute to provide it a suitable building. A site on the Esplanade was leased and the foundation stone for the building was laid on 21st February 1867, changing the name of the institute to ‘The David Sassoon Mechanic’s Institute. On 24th March, 1870 this new building was opened. The building was designed by Scott McClelland and Company and built by the architects J. Campbell and D. E. Gosling (The Sassoon Mechanics’ Institute). The institute activities gradually came to a standstill with the stoppage of the annual grants from the Imperial Government and thus it was reduced to its present state of being a library and a reading room. Consequently, in March 1938, the Sassoon Mechanics’ Institute was rechristened the David Sassoon Li brary and Reading Room (“History of David Sassoon Library”).

121. The street side facade of the David Sassoon Library and Reading Room.

Today the David Sassoon Library has a collection of about 40,000-odd books in English, Hindi, Marathi and Gujarati. It has 2 memberships; a yearly membership costs 500 Rs. and a lifetime membership costs Rs. 5000. Out of the nearly 2000 life members and about 500 regular members nearly 1000 are senior citizens. The library relies almost entirely on funds given by private charitable trusts and donors. There is a library committee formed of 15 members which looks after its management and strives to collect funds (Ajgaonkar). 54


A. Urban Parameters 1. Site and Context

The library is located on the Mahatma Gandhi (M.G.) Road in the old fort precinct of Mumbai overlooking the Rampart Row (Kala Ghoda node) opposite the Jehangir Art Gallery. The main entry to the library is from the M.G. Road side. The adjoining buildings are Elphinstone College (1890), Army & Navy Building (1897) and the Watson’s Hotel (1868).The Library has been listed as a Grade I heritage structure within the Fort precinct and the Museum sub-precinct as per the Heritage Regulations of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (1995). The Mahatma Gandhi road is a heavy traffic zone in the busy fort area. 122. Location of the library in the old Fort precinct of Mumbai.

The entry to the library is from an arched portico on the pedestrian walkway into the covered arcade which connects the library with the Army & Navy and Watson’s Hotel. The parking for the vehicles is on the opposite traffic island provided as a general parking space for the buildings in the vicinity. The two front parts of the library flanking the entrance are tenanted out as shops, and that along with the ground floor shops of the Army & Navy and the Watson’s Hotel gives the arcade a commercial character.

2. Urban Presence

The library is located in an important, institutional part of the old fort, south of the flora fountain. The Bom bay University, the Elphinstone College, The Bom bay High Court, The Old Secretariat and the Cawasji Jehangir Hall are the prominent institutes around it. There are also important financial buildings like the Bank of India, Grindlay’s Bank and the Hon Kong Bank. The Jehangir Art Gallery opposite the library is an established art and culture center. In 1862 the Ramparts Removal Committee carried out the first efforts to restructure the Fort area. These efforts had a pre-conceived image for Bombay and consequently a magnificent ensemble of Gothic public buildings set in formal gardens was built in the western edge of the Fort. These constituted of the Old Secretariat, The Bombay University, The High Court and other government buildings along the maidan (Mehrotra and Savant 18-19). Built in this time period, the David Sassoon Library’s Venetian Gothic style is a reflection of its civic nature and of its cons-

123. Location of the library in the western edge of the Fort precinct among the other civic buildings built along the maidans.

124. North facade of the library from the garden side.

55


cious efforts to be a part of the surrounding urban fabric of that period.

125. Revivalist Gothic elements in the street facade.

Today the area is a blend of tourist, business, commercial and cultural activity with a vibrant, dynamic city life. The street façade along the David Sassoon Library is a mix of different styles of building facades with the Watson’s Hotel - one of the first iron frame structure in Bombay - which is a Colonial style building, the Army & Navy which is a Renaissance revivalist office building and the Elphinstone College which is a Romanesque Neo-Gothic building. The covered arcade is an important addition to the urban edge of the building as it contributes to the movement of pedestrians along the street façade. The library blends in with the surrounding heritage structures and yet retains its presence. It is a small scale, patronized public library and has a reserved character amidst the hustle and bustle of the street and the intimidating institutions around it.

3. Style of Architecture transept

nave

126. Plan of the library forms a Gothic cross.

127. Ribbed groined vault of the entrance portico.

The style of the library is Revivalist Venetian Gothic. Like the other Heritage structures in the row the li brary is made of yellow Malad stone. The columns are of black (Deccan) trap and the dressing is in random rubble masonry. The ground floor facade has pointed arches decorated in white and black stripes protec ting the arcade. The Venetian Gothic style is noted in its heavy, strong construction with thick walls, the style of its openings with pointed arches, the turrets that flank its façade and the clock tower. The gothic style of the building can also be seen in its plan which is primarily a cross. The emphatic entrance portico with the ribbed groined vault and the sharp pointed gables are also gothic elements. In an adaptation from the typical gothic church style of using colored glass to emphasize the apse; green colored glass is used in the arched doorways opening onto the verandah on the southern street façade. Internally the entrance passage leads to foyer area which is a double volume space with a high wooden roof in an angular stepped profile. Above the main reading hall, part of the wooden roof has been torn down to be replaced by a flat concrete ceiling due to the damage caused by water seepage.

128. Wooden sloping roof above the library foyer.

56


4. Considerations for the Community

While the library has no special provision designed es pecially for the people in its community, the adaptive use of its verandah is useful. The verandah on the first floor is equipped with chaise lounge chairs which are very convenient for senior citizens, who form the ma jority of its members, to relax and read or even take a quick nap. The garden at the back is a relaxing place for the readers to meet and have discussions and sometimes even book readings and musical concerts are organized there. The library and its garden become vital locations once a year during the Kala Ghoda art and book festival which is organized annually there. The library also allows readers to get their own material to read or study within its premises. The entrance passage, which has wooden partitions on the sides, is used as a display area to exhibit the work of upcoming artists.

129. Verandah on the first floor with chaise lounge chairs.

B. Library Parameters 1. Spatial Layout

Stack areas The library has no distinct stacking area. Shelves are provided in the Main Reading Hall on the first floor and also in scattered places like the ground floor foyer, the mid-landing of the stairs and in the study room. The shelves have individual categories of books like ‘Literature’, ‘History’, ‘Philosophy’ ‘Fine Arts’ ‘Crime’, ‘Gujarati’ and ‘Marathi’. The library has many fragile and valuable books and gazettes which go way back as 1798 but there is no special storage or department for these books. They are piled together with other books in the general shelves. The study room has certain shelves which are stacked with reference, academic and study related books.

130. Book shelves in the main reading hall.

Reading /Reader service areas 131. Reading table with magazine stand.

The main reading space in the library is the Main Reading Hall which has two long central tables equipped with wooden stands to display magazines and stands equipped with glass panes to read papers with reading light from below. The verandah is a relaxing, browsing area for reading. The study room is provided for students to study in relative isolation. The catalogues are provided in steel shelves on the first floor landing. There is only one counter in the entrance foyer which is provided for reader service, guidance and issue/return.

132. Long reading tables placed centrally in the reading hall. 57


The study room is located on the mid-landing of the main staircase. It is a small room with flooring of wooden planks and a wooden ceiling. It has a reading table placed in the centre with book shelves on all four sides. This is a quiet place for study as it is located towards the part of the library which faces the back garden and so there is no noise from the street traffic or disturbance from other browsing readers. 133. Study room of the library.

Staff areas The administration along with the secretary’s office is provided on the ground floor. The staff toilet is accessed from the outside through the path of the garden. There is no provision for a staff lounge or a pantry. Book binding and repairing areas are not provided in the library.

2. Light

Natural Light 134. Entry from the staff office to the garden.

135. Office area for the assistant librarians on the ground level.

136. Entry to the staff toilet from the garden path.

The entrance passage and foyer remain dark recessed spaces which get little light from the door opening into the garden as the main entrance is shaded by a covered arcade and a portico from the M.G. Road side. The first floor reading hall gets light from two tall glazed wooden windows placed symmetrically on the east and west walls and from the doors opening towards the verandah on the south. The verandah on the south shades the reading room from direct glare and heat. The windows are double shuttered with glass and wood shutter on the outer side and wooden louvered shutters on the inner side. This allows the windows to be completely opened for direct light or partially opened for indirect and diffused light. Artificial Light The lamps hanging in the entrance passage and the foyer areas provide light to the ground floor transition area. The reading hall and the study room are fitted with light fixtures in the ceiling. The light fixtures in the study room are at a comfortable level to give sufficient reading light as the ceiling height there is lower. But in the reading hall the ceiling height is more than 5mt. and so the light fixtures are placed too high to give sufficient reading light. While this doesn’t hinder during daylight hours, in the late evenings the reading hall is not a comfortable area to read due to lack of adequate lighting. 58


137. Chandelier above the foyer area.

141. Truss supporting the wooden roof from which the chandelier is suspended.

138. Lampshade above the reception.

142. The reading hall and the door opening to the verandah on the south side.

139. Light fixture in the passage for the display section.

140. Chandelier in the entrance passage.

143. Light fixtures in the ceiling of the reading hall. 59


3. Circulation/Accessibility

The main circulation axis of the library is the northsouth central axis which holds the main transition areas like the entrance passage and the foyer on the ground level. From this axis the circulation is split in two with the staff access on the western side of the axis and the user access from the main staircase to the east of the axis. The northern end of the axis opens out into the back side garden. The mid landing of the staircase has access to the study room. The first floor landing leads to the main reading hall. Out of the two original entries into the main reading hall one is kept blocked and the entry directly in line with the staircase is accessible. From this entry the axis of movement continues inside the reading hall and splits the hall into two slightly unequal reading areas which lead to the south verandah through six arched doors. There is a wooden spiral staircase in the verandah, placed on the central axis, which leads to the room in the clock tower above. The circulation is simple but cluttered in certain places. The huge service counter in the reception after the entrance passage hinders the movement line and the large statue of David Sassoon, placed in the foyer, obstructs the path of movement to the back garden. The haphazard catalogue shelves, drawers for old portfolios and stacks of old newspapers on the first floor landing almost blocks the entry into the reading room. There is no provision for handicap access or any signage to guide users and it gets difficult to locate certain facilities like the catalogue shelves or the toilets without guidance from the librarians.

144. Diagrams showing main axis of movement.

4. Ancillary Spaces

Considerable area of the library is tenanted out for commercial use and many parts inside the library are kept unused due to lack of planning or damage to the structure. The library area itself is rather small and so it is difficult to provide for any ancillary activities within the building. The entrance passage is the only part of the library which is used for an additional function as a display area. While the garden is used for many purposes there is no fixed function or planning done accordingly to enhance its value. 145. Garden at the back of the library which is used for discussions and organizing events.

61


5. Noise and Climate Control

The thick stone walls and the verandah act as buffers from noise of the street and traffic in the reading hall. The garden at the back also gives some protection from the surrounding street level noise. However there is no specific sound proofing done on the library walls or ceilings. The library is relatively quiet though directly facing the busy M.G. Road.

146. Steel racks and drawers used for storing old periodicals and rare portfolios on the first floor landing.

There is no provision for specially controlled tem perature or humidity systems for the rare collection of portfolios and books that the library has. They are kept in steel drawers and cabinets which has already caused them considerable damage. These books, some of which are architectural sketches and drawings are in a depleted state as they have been infested by termites and have been damaged by the damp and humid weather.

6. Security and Protection

147. Lending desk in the reception.

The building has no security measures except for the main lending desk which also acts as a security point. The books are not under constant supervision and there are no stringent measures to block the level of accessibility or abuse of books. However the library has not had too many problems of misuse by the readers.


148. Catalouge shelves on the first floor landing.

The original building was not designed as a library and so no preliminary planning measures were taken into consideration for its future growth or extension. As a result over the years there have been no additions to the library building. Today it is a Grade I heritage structure and thus no alterations or intervention can be carried out in the building unless strictly necessary. The part of the library which is tenanted out to gather funds and the garden are certain areas where the li brary board wishes to develop plans for further use.

8. Technology

149. Old newspapers piled on the first floor landing.

There is no digitization in the library of the catalogues or the rare collections. The library does not have any other form of reading materials other than books like CD’s, DVD’s or even facility for internet. 62


3.4 M.J. Library, Ahmedabad Introduction

The Maneklal Jethabhai Pustakalaya (M.J. Library) was founded in 1933 mainly for the purpose of preservation of the literature owned by the Satyagrah Ashram and Gujarat Vidhyapith. Prior to the Dandi March in 1930, the British government had both the collections of the Ashram and Vidhyapith kept in Hutheesing’s Vadi. Thus, Mahatma Gandhi gave the suggestion to lay the foundation for a public library for the people of Ahmedabad and to retrieve the books from the municipality (Patel). Sheth Rasiklal Maneklal Jethabhai, son of Sheth Maneklal Jethabhai an established businessman of Ahmedabad contributed Rs. 55,000 to the establishment of the library in his father’s name and thus become the principal patron of the library. The foundation for this library was laid on 21st September 1933 by Mahatma Gandhi and it was formally opened by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on 15th April 1938. 9650 books of the Satyagrah Ashram were given by the municipality to the library and 8891 books by the Sastu Sahitya Karyalaya (English Pamphlet 2).

150. From the front row left side, Manilal Chaturbhai, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Chief Minister - Balvantrai Thakore, Sheth Kasturbhai Lalbhai and the principal patron, Sheth Rasiklal Maneklal during the opening of the M.J. Library in 1938.

The library felt small in the coming few years so new additions were added, and in 1950 Sheth Rasiklal Maneklal Jethabhai, funded Rs. 12,500 in his mother’s name for the opening of the Subhadra Maneklal Newspaper Hall. A further donation of Rs. 12,500 was made for the opening of the Bal Kishore (children’s) section on 14th June 1956 (Patel). The financial assistance to the M.J. Library is given by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and the li brary is an autonomous body of the A.M.C. and managed by its own trust deed. The library has a majority of regional readers and thus regional language collection is larger than the English collection. The total collection is 627609 books and 521 periodicals out of which 140650 books are in English (English Pam phlet 2). The M.J. Library is the country’s only 24 hour library and is open 364 days except for the 1st of January every year. The membership is not completely free and there is a subsidized amount of fees to be paid, which is further subsidized for women, children, students, senior citizens and people with physical disabilities (English Pamphlet 2).

151. Front facade of the library with the entrace portico and the dome.

63



152. Map of Ahmedabad with location of M.J. Library. SW

The library is located on Ashram Road near the Ellis Bridge next to the Mangaldas Girdhardas Town Hall. The site of the library is on a junction which connects the old eastern part of the town to the new western part. The Ashram Road and Ellis Bridge are busy areas with very heavy traffic most hours of the day. Most of the buildings around the library are either commercial or office buildings. The site has two entrances on the east and north side from the Ashram Road and the Kavi Nanalal Marg respectively. The entrance on the north is flanked by hawkers and parking for vehicles is provided inside the library compound. The diagonal axis of the library and the orientation of the entrance emphasize the corner of the site.

2. Urban Presence

NE

153. Orientation of the building with the garden as an urban response to the corner edge of the site.

The strategic placement of the library next to the Ellis Bridge and its proximity to the Sabarmati River makes the site a strong point of focus between the old and the new city. During the time of its construction, the city on the western side of the river was still under development. Like the location of the Town Hall, the library asserts its presence by ensuring its visibility while crossing the Ellis Bridge to the new part of the city and it serves as an institution to both the old and new parts. Today the library has lost its original peaceful settings and its visibility from the river side owing to the surrounding construction and development. Originally the library had a garden beyond its entrance and it was a prominent landmark, as a public building, in the city’s architecture.

3. Style of Architecture 154. The library in 1945 with the front garden.

155. Corner of the library compound wall which has a bust of Balvantrai Thakore.

The building was designed by Claude Batley of Gregson Batley and King, an Anglo-Indian firm based in Mumbai and executed by his assistant Mr. Sharma (Desai). The library was built when there was a strong attempt to emphasize and define the Indian identity; at a time when the struggle for independence was at its peak. Claude Batley believed in using elements of past architecture of India along with elements of western architecture to evolve the definition of modern Indian architecture. Unlike the Town Hall (1940) built by Claude Batley which has a distinct Art Deco 64


156. Niche below the dome with the bust of Mahatma Gandhi. Section of the main entrance portico and dome

157. Column capital detail.

158. a) Bracket in the portico. b) Bracket detail. Elevation of the main entrance portico and dome

159. Portico at the entrance to the reading hall.

Elevation of the portico at the entrance of the reading hall 0.75

5.25 m

2.25

65


style, the M.J. Library is eclectic in its characteristics.

160. Diagram representing the symmetry of the plan on the northeast-southwest axis.

There is a strong influence of the Islamic Style in the elements like the entrance dome which has an octagonal base, the sitting of the library which had a garden in the front, the strong symmetrical geometry of the original building, the painted and carved motifs of the library and the jalis used for diffused light. The decorative brackets, columns and chhajjas are adaptations from the Hindu architecture like the step well at Adalaj and the Palace of Bijapur (Sameer Patel 75-76). The entrance porticos, the clerestory above the lending section and the response to the urban edge is similar to that of colonial and European civic buildings. The new extensions added after the 1970’s are by Mr. Talati (Patel) and they are disjointed from the original style. The new part of the building is modern in style and though it is attached to the original library building, there is a very distinct differentiation between the termination of the old part and the beginning of the new. Overall this makes for a very confusing blend of styles in the library architecture.

161. Side elevation of the portico at the entrance of the reading hall.

162. Jali in the facade of the reading room.

163. Junction between the old and new buildings.


The library has a service van for their mobile library and a bus as their circulating children’s library for people from slums and rural parts around the city. But there are no provisions in the library design or services for physically disabled or senior citizens. There is separate women’s section and reading area provided for women and a children’s section. There is an auditorium in the basement which is used for literary gatherings and readings of regional authors but the premises hardly functions as a gathering place for the community at any other level.

164. Mobile Library van.

165. Bus for the Circulating Childrens’ Library.

66


B. Library Parameters 1. Spatial Layout

Stack areas Initially the stacks were in the current lending area. By early 1940’s a new stack section was built with two levels accessed by two symmetrically placed staircases. In 1970 an extension was added to this stack area which was called the ‘Granth Bhandar’. The stacks in the old part of the library are divided into an English language stack on the upper floor and regional language stacks on the lower floor. The new part of the building has stacks on each floor according to their functional division like the women’s and children’s stack on the first floor and the student’s and reference stack on the second floor. The stack areas are cramped for space and dingy with open steel racks used for stacking books.

166. Stacks in the Regional Section with a reading table.

Reading/Reader service areas Originally two reading halls were provided symmetrically to the dome and stack area. These reading halls were for general reading and browsing and they could be accessed separately from their respective entries. These entrance areas were converted to - The Subhadra Maneklal Reading Room and The Children’s Library in 1950 and 1956 respectively. The Subhadra Maneklal Reading Room was a newspaper reading area equipped with stands, placed against the windows, to read the newspapers. Currently the northern reading hall is being used for offices, exhibition area and internet facility. The eastern reading hall has some magazine stands and long reading tables and is used as a browsing area for periodicals. Scattered reading tables are provided in between the stacks in every section but there is no facility of a study area or individual study carrels. The library lacks a defined general area for reading the books provided in the collections unlike the clearly defined newspaper and periodical halls. Wooden card-catalogue shelves are provided in the individual stacking sections to search for the books.

167. Entry to the reading hall with the staff counter and the newspaper reading stands.

168. Main Reading Hall used for browsing periodicals and newspapers.

Staff area Aside from the administration room and offices there is no provision for staff areas like a staff lounge or a separate staff toilet. The book assessing and binding

169. Lending and administration counter in the foyer. 67


170. Entry to the Regional Stack section with catalouges and a reading table.

175. Book rack in the stack area.

171. Stacks in the Regional Language section.

176. Internal staircase leading to the first floor english stack from the regional stack section.

172. Periodical stand in the reading hall.

173. Circulating Library collection on the first floor.

177. Card catalouge shelves.

174. Newspaper reading room.

178. Women’s reading area on the first floor.

68


are provided in the basement but there is no facility for a book drop or unloading area. Thus the books have to be manually transported to the basement from the parking area. The cabins provided for the head librarian, the assistant librarians and the committee room cover only half of the floor to ceiling height in the old reading hall, the remaining top half portion remains unused and wasted.

2. Light

179. Cabins for the librarians and the committe room on the ground floor, north wing of the library.

Natural Light The initial library design had sufficient means of natural light. The two reading halls had a series of openings on their outer facades and the entrance doorways with the covered porches provided enough light for reading. The stack area had clerestory light from above and the dome was lit with the diffused light from the jalis and the main entrance. The ornamental stone jalis are also provided in other areas to get diffused light. However with the expansion of the building and the new construction the quality and amount of natural light in the building has reduced. The stacks have been shifted to a new section which has insufficient openings and the entrances to the reading halls are kept closed which reduces the quality of light for reading. The openings in the northern reading room are blocked by cabinets and shelves while the cabins provided for the librarians have entirely sealed up the former entrance door and porch. The new building has three floors and thus blocks the entry of light into the old building from the western side. Entry of light from the central court is minimal due to the small and insufficient openings most of which are usually kept closed. The facades in the new building have a series of continuous windows but the light quality is reduced due to the wire mesh which is used to seal up most of the windows. Most windows in the new parts of the library have a fixed double layer of metal grill and wire mesh which reduces the amount of light considerably and prevents the windows from being completely opened up for light and ventilation. But the windows in the old part are double shuttered with glazed shutter on the outer side and wire meshed shutter on the inner. This allows the windows to be partially or completely open and helps to control the amount of light required.

180. Atrium below the clerestory which provides light to the lending area below.

181. Windows in the reading hall, east wing

182. Windows in the english stack section on the first floor. 69


Artificial Light The electrical lighting has not been updated in a long time and the poor quality of natural light requires the electrical lights to run even during the peak hours of daylight. There is no individual or local provision for indirect, good quality reading light.

Re adi ng Room entry


Main Entry

Reading Room entry

183. Diagram representing the original three entries.

Main Entry

Closed entry/exit

184. Diagram representing the present main entry and the entry/exit door from the new building which is kept closed except in case of emergencies or service requierments.

The orientation of the original building is symmetrical on a diagonal southwest-northeast central axis and the main entrance is accordingly from the northeast corner. Though initially, the old library was designed to have three entries with one main entry into the dome and two separate entries for the reading halls; currently only the main entry is accessible into the building. Another entrance from the north court between the old and new building is kept closed except in case of emergencies or service requierments like book drop. The dispersion of movement happens from the lending area from where there is access to the reading room, the stack division and through the administration and exhibition area to the new part of the building. There is no separate staff entry or circulation. There are three internal staircases in the stack division and two staircases from the foyer area which reach to the balconies above the lending, reading and exhibition areas. There is one main staircase in the new part of the building placed in the service core between the toilets. There is no provision for handicap access or elevators. The circulation is confusing due to the poor signage and haphazard layout of functions.

4. Ancillary Spaces

185. Exhibition area on the ground floor, north wing.

There is an exhibition space provided on the ground floor of the old building which displays photographs of the history and heritage of Ahmedabad. Auditorium is provided in the basement and there is a small toys section for children on the first floor of the new building. The ancillary spaces are pushed within the library plan and do not have individual access or presence. The exhibition is placed in a transition space which is poorly lit and the auditorium is dark and dingy in the basement. The toys’ section is very s mall and cramped and allows no play area thus merely becomes a storage facility. 70

emergency exit



There is a lot of traffic noise from the busy Ashram Road but the building is placed a little away from the roadside and the site has few trees which help buffer the sound slightly. Internally there is no soundproofing on the floors or ceiling and the noise from human movement has no buffer. Sound in the large volumes of the dome, foyer and reading halls in the old part of the library cause echoes. The poor quality of natural light and ventilation had damaged the books when the stacks were initially placed in the basement (Patel). There is no specific climate or dust control for any stack or user areas.

186. Toys’ section on the first floor.


The site has two entries which have security guards. Only one main entry is kept accessible in the library building to prevent theft and misuse. There is a baggage counter at the entrance to prevent people from carrying bags. The main central lending counter is provided for the stacks and reading rooms in the old part of the library as a service counter and security check point. In the new part each section has its own reader-service counter for assistance and security checks. Despite of this the library has suffered losses and abuse to its collection mostly due to reader negligence.

187. Maps section in the foyer on the ground floor.


Mahatma Gandhi had expressed a desire to plan the library building with considerations for future growth and expansion (“M.J. Library-English Pamphlet” 1). The first extension was the two level stack areas built in the early 1940’s. Subsequently the library has already gone through a series of expansions carried out in a disjointed manner. In 1970, the Granth Panthal (new stack) was added behind the original stack area and in 1974-75 a basement with an auditorium, ground and first floor in extension to the old building were built. A second floor was added in 2001 (Patel). The concern area is for the growing number of books which the library claims reaches to about 25,000 new books each year. The new library building (1970 onwards) is not a strong structure and as a result the columns are already showing signs of cracking due to

188. Security and baggage counter at the main entrance.

189. Drinking water supply at the entrance dome. 73


the heavy loads of the stacks. The new library building was not designed keeping either growth or flexibility in mind. As a result there are debates on tearing down the new extension building and making a new structure with more number of floors or erect ing a separate structure on the existing weak one after strengthening its framework (Patel). 8. Technology

The library catalogues are yet to be computerized so there is no digital database or search system within the library. There are a few computers provided on the ground floor for internet surfing. The library has about 1200 CD’s and DVD’s and 800 audio cassettes but no facility to use them within the library. The collections of rare books given by Mahatma Gandhi is being indexed and a database of about 1.5 lakh books is being prepared. The standing comittee of AMC in 2006 alloted Rs. six crore to the library for modernization and upgradation of facilities.

190. Computers in the stack area where the digital catalouging of the library collections is yet to be initiated.

75

3.5 Inferences

76

Chapter 4.0 Study of Selected Contemporary Public Libraries

Study of Selected Contemporary Public Libraries

4.1 Introduction This chapter focuses on the study of selected public libraries which have attempted to incorporate the diverse factors that are reshaping the notion of a modern public library. Three case studies have been selected for this study, each of which has a unique aspect in its design related to the changing trend of public library architecture. All the three libraries are contemporary public libraries situated in different contexts and each has a different perspective on public library design. The libraries are varying in their sizes, programs and positions within their communities. The varying range of the study is an attempt to understand the different problems, requirements and design solutions of different types of public libraries situated in diverse contexts. The Waterford City Library, Ireland is a small public library which had to expand and modernize with its growing number of readers and collections. The Community Centre and Library, Phoenix, USA is a public library with a recreational sports complex in a reasonably sized community center. The Seattle Central Library, USA is a large central library which is designed on the new definitions of public library architecture. Each library has emerged with a resolution to its individual needs and concerns and has strived to develop as a landmark within its context. All the three are relatively recent examples of library extension, re juvenation and design respectively. The parameters mentioned in Chapter 2 are used as a method to analyze the three case studies. The case studies are individually analyzed and are not a com parative study. The inferences for this chapter are drawn at the end of the case studies in a tabular format based on the selected parameters for analysis.

78


4.2 Waterford City Library, Ireland Introduction

Waterford City was founded in 914 AD and is an im portant port in Ireland. Its architectural heritage is being conserved and restored through a development plan drafted by the Waterford City Council. Waterford is rich in its cultural history and traditions which is reflected in the attempt to merge new modern interventions while preserving and reviving the old heritage structures. The Waterford City Library is a modest municipal library which was built in 1905 by Albert Edward Murray. Consequently the library was in need for alterations and expansion with the growing need for electronic facilities and space. Thus the proposal for its remodeling and extension was given to architects Jo McCullough and Valerie Mulvin of McCullough Mulvin, Dublin in 2002 (“Layers of Meaning” 42).

191. Map of Ireland showing the location of Waterford.

A. Urban Parameters

1. Site and Context

The library is located in the City Centre situated on the north-eastern edge of the promontory, on the river Suir. The City Centre is a defined area of Waterford which contains a greater portion of the city’s artistic, historic, cultural and archaeological heritage. It also contains the main commercial and administrative areas of the city. It is a key commercial zone due to its compact nature and wide mix of activities. The City Center also contains the Architectural Conservation Areas (ACA) which has some of the oldest populated areas and heritage structures in Ireland. Thus this area falls completely under the city’s Zone of Archaeological Potential (Draft Development Plan “Schedule 2” 1). The Waterford City Urban Archaeological Survey has identified the zone of archaeological protections which is generally equivalent to the areas enclosed by the Danish and Norman city walls (Waterford City Development Plan 56). Therefore the maintenance and development within this area is monitored by the City Council to ensure that it does not adversely affect the archaeological heritage.

192. Ariel view of Waterford city and the river Suir.

193. Plan of Waterford city showing the location of the library.

79


The library falls in the Record of Protected Structures (Draft Development Plan “Schedule 1” 14) within the General Conservation area in the Zone of Archaeological Potential. The City Council intends that the status of Waterford in the field of urban archaeology is maintained and thus any development in the area is required to be assessed by an archaeologist, The Planning Authority and Duchas, The Heritage Service (Waterford City Development Plan 57).

194. Plan of Waterford showing the location of the city center.

The City Centre is composed of a variety of building types including Norman Towers, Medieval Town Walls, Georgian churches as well as The City Council Offices and City square shopping centre. The vicinity of the library has mostly residences and warehouses from the 18th and 19th century. Most buildings are of rubble-stone construction and the Georgian churches located on The Mall have brick facades. This variation lends a distinctive texture to the streetscapes in this area.

2. Urban Presence

195. Urban response to the corner by retaning the old facade of the library.

The library occupies a corner site in between the Lady Lane and the Bakehouse Street. The existing library was a squat two storied structure and it was built as a symbol of municipal dignity to the pursuit of knowledge. As the conservation policy requires utmost pre servation of the heritage building and as a response to its surrounding urban fabric; the corner part of the old library building is left intact in the new remodeling of the library. An adjoining site on the western side, which was formerly an undertakers yard, has been incorporated for the expansion of the library. The incorporation of the new part has been carried out in a manner which emphasizes the juxtaposition of the old and new parts from both the street sides.

3. Style of Architecture

196. View of the corner junction of the library with the original facade.

The old library building was built in the Neo-Classical style with a pediment on its south facade on the Lady Lane side. The thick walls were constructed of smooth sawn Kilkenny limestone with varying shades (“Layers of Meaning” 42). The original library plan was a rectangle with spaces arranged around a dou ble-height top lit reading room. However with the new incorporation the overall site has been extended into an L-shape. 80


Plan of Waterford showing the location of the library in the zone of archaeological potential 100

300

700 m

81


The old construction is in contrast to the new extension which also uses limestone but of different size and pattern of joints. The facades of the old walls have characteristically smaller and regulated windows whereas the new parts have larger and unregulated glazed openings. The combination of the old and new parts is also seen in the interior of the library where parts of the old walls have been blended with the new construction. The walls of the new entrance hall are in boardmarked concrete while the old wall in the central hall are lined with dark timber (“Layers of Meaning” 46)

4.Considerations for the Community 197. Street view of the library along the Lady Lane side.

The extension of the library was carried out for the purpose of accommodating a new range of digital technology and facilities for the community of readers. This consisted of a special area provided for internet facility, an audio library and facility for readers with impaired vision to be able to read on enlarged screens.

B. Library Parameters

1. Spatial Layout

Stack areas

198. Sketch of the original library areas around the central reading hall.

Originally the spaces were arranged around the central double-height hall which was also the general reading area. Stacks were arranged in different sections around this reading hall. However with the changes and the new extension the stacks have been divided into specific categories and placed in individual areas with their own reading facilities. The categorical division of the collections is in three parts at three levels. The ground floor has the casual children, adult and young-adult sections, the first floor has the Waterford room which contains rare archives and collections on the history and information of Waterford, the second floor has the non-fiction and reference collections. Except for the archives and the reference sections all the stacks are open collections and accessible to casual readers. 82


Reading area The specific reading areas are organized within the stack divisions. These reading areas are arranged in the periphery of the library along the openings. Each section has its characteristic reading space like the children’s library which has a dynamic reading area with differently arranged seating spaces for story telling and playtime, the young adult section which has comfortable couches and the adult section which has linearly arranged reading tables. The Waterford room and the reference section have reference tables arranged amongst scattered stacks in the centre of the room with closed shelves lined on the walls. There is a study room provided on the first floor which is equipped with diagonally arranged, individual study tables. The mezzanine on the first floor has seating provided for newspaper or periodicals browsing. Staff areas With the extension of the library a new floor was added on the existing library which could accommodate the staff facilities. The floor is accessible only to the staff and contains the administrative offices, the committee room, the staff canteen and a staff toilet. This floor can be directly accessed from the old staircase, which has a separate entry on the ground floor accessible only for staff and service purpose.

2. Light Natural Light

199. View of the central hall and the roof light on the top.

The old façade of the library on the southeastern corner has regulated openings which provide direct light for the reading areas arranged on the periphery. The central part of the library has an atrium which provides indirect light through a skylight on the top. During the remodeling of the library structure, the walls around this atrium have been made more permeable for better quality of light. In the new part of the librar y on the western side, a light well has been provided by creating a void in-between the floor and the rear north wall. Like the central top lit hall, this provides a continuous infiltration of light at all levels. The areas on the second floor of the north eastern corner are individually top lit from skylights above. The large glazed openings on the new facades also provide good light to the main entrance, reading and staff areas. 84


3. Circulation/Accessibility The original main entrance of the library was directly below the pediment on the Lady Lane side. This was closed and the main entrance was shifted to the new block when the library was extended. The entrance hall and the central hall are the main transitory areas from which the movement is dispersed into other areas. The new block has a staircase and elevator accessible from the entrance hall. The staircase in the old part of the library has an entrance on the ground level from the Bakehouse Lane which is mainly used for staff and service entry. 200. View of the new block and the main entrance of the library.

The central hall which was originally the main reading hall of the library is now also used for general reading purposes with movement through the different sections placed around it. The separate staff floor ensures that the staff movement is restricted to one level except for the information/control areas. Another entry from the Bakehouse Lane into the adult section at the ground level is kept closed. On the first and second floors the circulation is contained between the two staircases through the bridge links above central hall. This ensures visual connection between the areas on the above floors and the central hall.

201. Central hall with the separate sections arranged on the sides.

4. Ancillary Spaces

There is no specific division of the ancillary areas from the rest of the library. The internet access area and the audio library are provided on the second floor whereas the reference library is also used as a meeting place.


The climate of the region requires maximum use of direct sunlight for reading. The central atrium functions for providing both light and in keeping the areas ventilated. No special sound buffering or climate control is done within the library. The walls are boardmarked concrete or lined with dark timber strips and the flooring is in stone. The thick stone construction would buffer the external noise from the streets to an extent.

86



To control the movement within the library the entrances from the Bakehouse Lane have been kept restricted. The main information area is located within the central hall and service counters are provided on all the floors which are accessible to the users. These serve as service areas and as control points within the library.


202. Light well in the new block with the service desk at the entrance level.

203. View of the entrance hall with the first floor mezzanine from the central hall.

The expansion of the library has happened in phases. An old caretaker’s house was incorporated in the northern part previously and in the new extension the undertaker’s yard on the western side has been included as the new part of the site. The re-modeling of the library and its new extension are particularly noted for their juxtaposition of the old and new parts. The newer parts are discernible in the use of limestone which is also used in the old library walls, but in a newer pattern of joints and finish. This extension forms a new 3 storey structure on the western side and has the main entrance hall with the first floor mezzanine. A new third floor has been added onto the old 2 storey library part which houses the staff. To completely wrap the new extension on all sides of the library a new room has been added on the second floor on the Bakehouse Lane side with the similar limestone façade of the new extension. Within the original central hall, parts of the old limestone wall have been modified and superimposed with new dark wood strips to make it more permeable and to emphasize the old and new construction. The preservation of old structure and its fusion with new parts, without destroying its original character , was a result of the library’s listing in the Record of Protected Structures. The expansion retains the old prominent corner façade and the interior spaces of the building with equally prominent and bold new parts.

8. Technology

204. New part in the second floor from the Bakehouse Lane side with the skylight on the top.

The redevelopment was done so as to accommodate new technology in the modest municipal library. The library has provision for internet access and to access basic digital media without being diverted; with too many technological interventions or changes; from being a simple, reading library for its members. 88

originally a caretaker’s house


4.3 Palo Verde Library and Community Center, Phoenix, USA Introduction

205. Map of USA showing location of Phoenix.

206. Urban core in Maryvale in the city of Phoenix.

Maryvale, located on the western edge of Phoenix was one of the USA’s first postwar master planned communities back in the 1950s. Its population is a diverse mix of immigrant families who shifted there due to the lower housing and living costs. The urban public core of this community was structured around a generously scaled park, equipped with a library and community centre, an outdoor swimming pool, basketball and volleyball courts, children’s playground and a base ball field (Slessor 50). The City of Phoenix proposed to re-invigorate this ur ban core with a mixed-use building program, which required a single building complex with a larger Li brary/Community Center that would incorporate the existing park and public pool. The unique aspect to the rejuvenation of this program and design is the amalgamation of the library and the community center into one complex. The brief, given by the Phoenix munici pality, asked for the new structure to reconsider the relationship in-between the library and the community center areas, and its relationship with the surrounding park. The renewal of this urban core was a civic mission and it thus demanded an apparent public manifestation in its new design (Slessor 51). In 2001 this project was given to the Phoenix based architectural firms, Wendell Burnette and Gould Evans and it was completed in 2006 .


207. View of the urban core with the public pool, community center and library as seen from the baseball feild side.

The site is located in the heart of Maryvale which includes a community hospital, a post office and an Elementary and Middle school along with the Maryvale theatre. The 51st Avenue is an important street and the sitting of the new building is done so as to have a visual and transitional link with the street side. The master plan for Maryvale featured a park, around which 90


stood the hospital, shopping center, library, pool, and community center. The architects lined up the new buildings on axis with the existing pool along the east side of the site The old library and community center were oriented towards the interior side of the park whereas the parking was facing the street side. In the new design the community center and the library have a direct access from the 51st Avenue through a new promenade which leads to the entry breezeway connecting both the buildings. The southeast corner of the site is preserved as the original landscaped park and is used as a ‘contemplative park’ for the library and the reading room. The private access drive is used to access the administrative areas provided at the back side like t he book drop and shipping/receiving as well as the parking provided at the back.

208. Plan of the urban core showing the original locations of the old library and the community center.

2. Urban Presence

The new design of the library has a strong public presence with its shaded promenade and visual connectivity. The 8 feet tall bands of externally shaded glass enable the connection between the street and the activities within both the buildings as well as in between both the library and the community center. The ‘Palo Verde’ name is derived from the Palo Verde trees, which are a local species growing in the arid desert climate of Arizona. These trees are also used in the form of planting within the site. The preservation of the park towards the southeast corner and planting of new trees in the parking on the street side gives the building a bold but quiet street presence. The rejuvenation of the new complex is done in a way which preserves and enhances this site as the green heart of Maryvale. The complex attempts to be a part of the public realm through its transparent glazing which enables the internal functions and character of each space to be discernible; thus giving the buildings a democratic and unassuming character.

209. View of the promenade leading to the library and community center from the 51 st Avenue.


The new building design has an innovative modern approach. The buildings have been kept in line with the street but to avoid making a wall in between the park on the west and the street on the east, the two

210. Metal box of the library and the masonry administration block connected with the in-between breezeway.

91


211. Equal volumes of the library and community center connected by a breezeway and resting on bands of glass.

park side masonry

existing

masonry

pool metal boxes

metal boxes

street side

212. Four volumes of the complex with two double-volume glass and metal boxes towards the street side and two masonry structres in line with the pool house on the park side.

buildings have been designed as a pair of metal boxes resting on feet high bands of glazing. This ensures that the relationship between the street and the activities within the buildings remains linked. The two buildings are equally scaled volumes which incorporate the library and the gymnasium facilities respectively. Each of these volumes is a clear span, column free space which is well lit from the skylights at the top and the glazing bands at the bottom. Differing from the response to the street edge and the park side, the buildings have been divided into four volumes. The two street side volumes are doublevolume, metal boxes with transparent shop windows which visually relate the activities within the complex with each other as well as with the street side. The volumes on the park side are single storied masonry structures which from a solid mass. These contain the administrative functions of the library along with other enclosed spaces in the community center. The street side volumes contain the dynamic functions like the collections and reading room of the library and the sports hall in the gymnasium. The street facing facades are clad in finished stainless-steel panels that have an absorptive nature, subtly changing colors in varying light conditions and gives the facade a fluid, translucent quality; whereas the solid masonry forms are continued in the line of the existing pool house.

4. Considerations for the Community 213. Street facing metal volumes resting on continuous bands of glass.

214. Sports hall in the community center which is visually connected to the library collections opposite via the glazed bands.

The building design manifests what the architect Wendell Burnette calls the ‘mind/body’ duality, with the library for intellectual contemplation and a sports hall for physical recreation (Slessor 51). The complex provides both facilities to its community members in an enclosed, temperature controlled structure. The functions are organized in a user-friendly and functional means which is easily accessible even for people with physical disabilities. The most contributing factor is the proximity of the buildings and the visual connection as well as the common circulation between the two. The idea is to remove the confinement of the library as a secluded, isolated space and to locate it such that it creates a sociable sense of awareness of the other surrounding activities and a sense of being connected to them. The complex contributes to the general urban wellbeing of the community by stimulating both the mind and the body and providing an attractive ambience for the users. 92



1. Spatial Layout

Stack areas/Reading areas The library collections and the reading areas are located in the street side double-volume block on the southeastern side. This is a spacious, column free, hall which has a collection of open stacks mostly for general reading purposes and few reference stacks. The reading areas are arranged in-between the stacks in varying clusters with lounge like arrangements as well as formal study tables. Individual study tables are also provided for secluded reading. Most of the reading areas are arranged towards the periphery with the stacks occupying the centre of the space. Every reading space is equipped with the provision to access laptops and other digital devices.

215. Southeastern metal box which houses the library collections.

Staff areas The staff and other library administrative areas are provided in the southwestern masonry block. These include the staff offices, pantry, meeting rooms, staff lounge and staff toilets. There is also a separate staff entry that is accessed from the back side which serves for book drops and shipping/receiving. The staff lounge has access to a private court towards the southern side which provides light in the solid masonry structure and acts as a relaxation area.

216. Lounge like reading areas arranged next to the glass band in the library.

2. Light

Natural Light The required amount of light is balanced in the building through a grid of ‘Solatube’ skylights which provide light from the top and the bands of glazing provided at the bottom. To ensure that the light quality is controlled and glare-free the bands of glazing are externally shaded with fixed horizontal louvers. The Solatube skylights provide shadow-less lighting for comfortable reading (Burnette 10). The provision for good natural light ensures that there is a reduced reliance on the electric lighting thus reducing the energy costs considerably. The harsh daylight of the Arizona desert also needs to be properly shaded and filtered which is further achieved through the dense planting

217. Masonry single volume blocks on the park side.

93


of Palo-Verde trees on the eastern street side which helps shade the continuous band of glazing. Artificial Light While the general lighting li ghting is provided throughout with a series of suspended light fixtures, low-hung reading lamps are provided at the periphery in the reading areas for good quality, indirect reading light.

3. Circulation/Accessibility Circulation/Accessibility 218. Low hung lampshades in the reading areas of the li brary. brary.

219. Breezeway continuing the main axis for circulation within the library.

The main circulation in the site is the 36 feet wide east-west pedestrian pedestria n promenade made of Arizona Ash which leads to the entry breezeway connecting both the buildings. The circulation within the building is along the north-south spine of the breezeway. The per pendicular axis of the pedestrian movement ensures that the circulation is simple and direct. The separate parking for the library is provided on the southwest corner from which the promenade to the west can be accessed. As the building is only at ground level and the circulation is even it enables easy handicap access too. The user and staff accessibility is split with a separate staff access into the southwestern masonry block. The vehicular access for f or the book drop and book shipping/ receiving are also provided in a separate entry e ntry into the staff block. The breezeway entering the library acts as a multi purpose area by functioning as the main movement spine and also holding the main information desk along with other reference tables provided for browsing.

4. Ancillary Spaces

A children’s children’s story time area is provided in the masonry volume of the library. Provision for music stations, internet browsing etc. is provided within the general library layout. The design of the buildings is such that the column free spans can be used for performances as well as public gatherings on certain occasions.

220. Vehicular entry from the private access drive for the library parking and the book drop

5. Noise and Climate Control Acoustical treatment is given to the interior of the li brary spaces by using 4’X16’ panels of sanded OSB

96


panels made from recycled Aspen wood chips. The li brary collection floor plate is cork and recycled carpet tiles which muffle sound and provide flexibility for data/ electrical distribution. Formaldehyde-free insulation in the walls and the ceiling provides both acoustical and thermal insulation (Burnette 10).

221. Horizontal louvers externally shading the glass which protect from direct glare and heat gain.

Arizona’s harsh desert climate requires good temperature control and shading from the heat. This is provided by the uniform grove of Palo Verde trees which considerably reduce the heat island effect caused by the ex posed asphalt. A continuous underground plenum, along the glazing, provides perimeter air conditioning in the lower part of the structure whereas the upper 2/3 part is allowed to stratify and remain unconditioned. The mill finish stainless steel panels reflect much of the potential solar heat gain (Burnette 10).


The library areas are contained in one large space and thus it helps regulate the movement of users within as the staff can maintain a friendly but controlled environment. The main information counter, which is placed in the breezeway on entering the library, functions as a main point for the accessibility and control. The regulated pedestrian movements through the site also help in controlling the large groups of users within the complex.


The library building has not been designed keeping any physical future addition in mind. However the large, clear span of the structure enables a flexibly in it’s layout and function for future use. The library is not built as a re pository and thus does not intend to add considerably to its current collections but the provision for further data/ electrical distribution in its structure ensures provision for future increase in the digital media and equipment. 222. The column-free large span and volume of the library with an interractive and flexible layout.

8. Technology

The library has provision for several terminals to access internet and other digital mediums of information. There is also provision to access personal laptops. The design of the library structure has accommodations for further growth and modifications in the changing technological needs.

98


4.4 Seattle Central Library, USA

Introduction

The old Seattle Central Library was suffering from over-crowding, inefficiently designed spaces and inadequate collection and seating growth capacity amongst other structural and spatial concerns. Thus a new program for the library was drafted by the city Librarian, Deborah L. Jacobs in 1997. Jacobs stated that “Seattle is a city of readers, but our library buildings were getting tired. They were not working, not big enough, not functional for the change in the way information is being delivered” (in Rawlinson). Keeping this in mind the new program was drafted to provide sufficient growth space for the next 30 years, flexibility and the most efficient means to convey information. In 1999 the design competition for this project was won by the architectural firm OMA in collaboration with the Seattle based firm LMN Architects. The architects for this project were the Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and Joshua Ramus. Koolhaas found Seattle a very receptive breeding ground for his ideas. “It’s a very specific culture here,” says Koolhaas. “There is a very highly developed common sensibility and a highly developed sense of solidarity between the rich and the poor. It is also a culture where many people have been involved in the digital world. What connects everyone is a dedication to reason and to reasoning, and I think that enabled us to do the project and explains the way it turned out” (in Becker). Given today’s penchant for extreme visual stimuli, the design for any new library needs to stand out to retain both, a degree of civic authority and the ability to entice. Despite the isolation that technology enables, libraries are assuming urgent new roles of congregation and education (Lamprecht 52). These are the key factors which have developed the new program and design of the Seattle Central Library. The new building which opened in May 2004 is a functional example of a new emerging public library type which stands as a civic institution, a public hub and a technologically updated information center for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities.

223. The Carnegie Library, on the same site as the current building, was Seattle’s downtown library for nearly 60 years.

224. View of the library from the 5 th Avenue and the Spring Street.

225. Eastern facade of the library from the 5 th Avenue side.

99


A. Urban Parameters

1. Site and Context

226. View of the library and its surrounding context.

The Seattle Central library is located at the corner of a block, in the center of downtown Seattle in between the Madison Street, Spring Street and the Fourth and Fifth Avenues. The surrounding vicinity is an urban metropolis with skyscrapers and busy roads. The plots and roads are arranged on a strict orthogonal grid with the tall and imposing streetscape of office, civic and bank buildings. The Elliott Bay falls towards thenorthwestern side and Mt. Rainer lies towards the far southeast. The library building occupies the full city block (33,723sq.mt.) and has entrances from both the 4th and the 5th Avenue on the west and east sides respectively. The site is located on a steep slope and thus the level difference between the entrances on both sides leads to entries at two different levels. There is almost an 8.8 mt. difference in the levels on both the 4 th and 5th Avenue sides thus on the 4 th Avenue the entry is at the first floor level and on the 5t h Avenue it is at the third floor level. Parking for about 150 cars is provided in the basement level.

2. Urban Presence

227. Library at night as seen from the 5 th Avenue.

228. Spring street and the library edge with the landscaping along the pedestrian walkway.

Surrounded by regulated buildings and skyscrapers the library’s angular and irregular facades give the building a distinctive civic presence amongst its adjacent urban architecture. Yet it seems to blend in within it’s surrounding fabric through it’s continuous skin of steel and glass. The idiosyncratic form of the library is not merely to make a statement. Joshua Ramus says that although the library is sculptural, it is not in any way an attempt to make a form. The library’s appearance comes from pushing boxes around to stay within the height and setback restrictions and zoning codes (Such). Though the transparency of the glass links the interior of the library activities with the exterior city life, there is no direct connection or function which enhances the surrounding dynamic downtown city life. The li brary, in that manner, is an internally focused building which, other than its glass exterior, is cut-off from the immediate vicinity. On the 5th Avenue entrance side, an unglazed lattice of steel framework which forms a 100


covered walkway is provided as a response to the pedestrian movement.


229. Covered walkway of unglazed lattice along the 5 th Avenue.

230. Southeastern corner of the library from the 5 th Avenue and Madison Street.

Though the immediate style of the building comes through as Post-Modern; the form is derived from the requirements of the library program and the organization of space according to use and function. The library’s exterior is an angular composition of folded planes. Exterior facades are of glass, supported by a diagonal grid of steel that covers almost the entire surface. The form is divided into 5 main structural platforms each with a fixed permanent function and the in-between flexible areas serving as other intermediary functions. It becomes difficult to gauge the scale of the building accurately as the form remains irregular on all the four sides, the facades are different and the external planes are angular. Tapered facets are formed from the cantilevered, staggered boxes and the detached, stretched glass and steel skin. Basic structural grid is formed of the exposed box trusses and the vertical columns, mostly concealed above the third floor where angled columns take over. The columns are pulled back from the corners so the boxes are distinctly read as articulated volumes.


The needs for the community are met with in both the design and program of the library. The program of the library has three distinct public spaces called the ‘Living Room’, ‘Mixing Chamber ’ and the ‘Reading Room’. The ‘Living Room’ is an antithesis to the formal ‘Temple of Knowledge’ outlook of the older libraries. It is a dynamic and interactive space which encourages a relaxed atmosphere. The ‘Mixing Cham ber’ is a reference area where the librarians interact with the users and provide necessary information and service. This area is a technological and digital hub with 135 computers where all the librarians work in a single space. The ‘Reading Room’ has a series of reading areas at the 10th level of the building.

231. View of the ‘Living Room’ on level 3.

With its varying facilities for public gatherings, informal meeting, reading, browsing, conferences, lectures and workshops the library is designed as a fullyfunctional hard working public space, generated for dynamic informal and formal gatherings. The library also has a coffee shop which trains homeless people 102


to work as baristas. The Learning Center on level 1 is provided with language learning work stations and a classroom for literacy and ESL programs. Library Equal Access Program (LEAP) on level 3 is provided with equipment for people with physical disabilities to access information. The library has a number of strategically located elevators and escalators which provide good handicap access and the book spiral also enables handicap movement amongst the collections. Out of the eleven floors of the library only two are restricted to the st aff the rest all are open to the public.

232. View of level 3 ‘Living Room’ with the fiction stacks.


1. Spatial Layout

Stack areas Though the library is divided into several unique sections the main collections are located in a ‘book spiral’ which covers the levels 6-9. This book spiral is a continuous four-story ramp which holds majority of the nonfiction collection — 75% of the entire collection. This lets the non-fiction collection exist in one continuous run, and avoids the problem of having to move books into other rooms or floors as the collection expands. The spiral lets all patrons, including people with disabilities, move throughout the entire collection without depending on stairs, escalators or elevators (Seattle Public Library website). The shelves are arranged perpendicular to the 2 degree ramp which is calibrated with walking pace of a disabled person and a wheelchair. Black rubber strips containing a part of the numerical sequence of the Dewey Decimal system line up with the corresponding shelf on the adjacent floor. The book spiral starts with 000 at the bottom level and finishes with 999 at the top. This system of organization ensures easy and fast access to the required book section. The spiral is also navigable through a centrally placed one-way-up escalator from level 5 and a parallel staircase which starts from level 6. Currently holding about 750,000 books, the spiral has a capacity for f or 1.4 million books and other materials.

233. Book Spiral from levels 6-9 which house the main non-fiction collections.

234. Ramped aisles of the book spiral with mats indicating the Dewey Decimal number of the adjoining stacks.

103


The collections on each level include -

235. Book spiral with the centrally placed staircase.

236. One-way-up escalator which connects the levels of the book spiral. spiral.

Books Spiral 6 - Magazines, newspapers, govern ment publications, small conference room Books Spiral 7 (000s - 600s) - The Maffei Family Aviation Room, the Barry A. Ackerley Business Collection, nonfiction media collection, science, public restrooms Books Spiral 8 (700s - 800s) - Peter F. Donnelly Arts and Literature Collection, music CDs, two music practice rooms, the Kreielsheimer Foundation Foundation Performance Arts Room, regional arts collection Books Spiral 9 (900s and biographies) - Genealogy, the Maritz Map Room, A. Scott Bullitt History and Biography Collection, Eulalie and Carlo Scandiuzzi Writers’ Room, small conference room. Each level features a reference desk, copy machine and computers (Seattle Public Library website). The other stacks are divided into different sections at every level like the Children’s Center, the Learning Center, the Teen Center, Family Fiction Collection, Popular periodicals and newspapers etc. and the ref erence collection on level 5 in the ‘Mixing Chamber’. Reading Areas The main reading galleries are provided on level 10 which is known as the ‘Betty Jane Narver Reading Room’. This level has 5 reading galleries split at different levels located on the northern side and has seating for 400 readers. Here the exterior walls of steel and glass slopes at an angle of 45 degrees to a height of 40 feet till the top of administration platform and provides fantastic views of the surrounding buildings and Elliott Bay.

237. Diagonally arranged stacks in the fiction section on level 3.

238. Reading galleries on level 10 in the ‘Betty Jane Narver Reading Room’.

The other reading area is on level 3 in the ‘Living Room’ which is an informal space on the southern side from the entrance at the 5 th Avenue. Avenue. This is more of a browsing area for the fiction stacks, periodicals and has provision for accessing personal laptops. Seattle’s Living Room is not about research, or any explicit library-related task but it’s about pleasure oriented activities with its coffee area, gift shop, fiction stacks, teen center and its unrestrained use of space for meeting friends, browsing or just relaxing. It becomes a close parallel to a public space and a center for the community within the city. city. The reference section on level 5 has computers dedicated to the catalog and subscription databases, a gen 104


eral reference print collection and about 135 public access, Internet-enabled computers. The Language Center on level 1 has individual language carrels. A writer’s room is provided on level 9 and individual reading areas are also provided within the book spiral. The Language Center on level 1 has individual language carrels. A writer’s room is provided on level 9 and individual reading areas are also provided within the book spiral. Staff Areas The main staff levels are on level 2 and level 11 and both these levels are restricted only to the staff. Level Level 2 has shipping, receiving, book sorting and technical and collection services. It also has the loading dock, the book conveyor and space for storing book carts. This level deals with the general receiving, sorting and re-shelving of the checked in books. It also deals with the arrival, dispatch and distribution of new books. Level 11, which is the topmost level of the library, is the main administrative platform and is known as the headquarters. It has all the administrative offices, the head librarian’s office, the board room, staff lounge and meeting and conference rooms.

239. Staff Headquarter’s platform on level 11 seen above from the reading room on level 10.

240. Meeting room platform on level 4 seen from level 3 ‘Living Room’.

The other staff areas are on level 4 with conference and meeting rooms along a long with two Boeing Technology Training Center labs used for public and staff com puter instruction. On level 5 the ‘Mixing Chamber’ has a large interdisciplinary area where the librarians work and interact with the users by providing necessary help and information. Every level has its own administrative office space along with service and information desks in each section.

2. Light 241. Bookshelf lighting in the fiction stacks.

Natural Light Natural light is brought in and controlled via the means of the external skin of the building. The external skin is made of glass, cut in approximately 4-foot by 7-foot diamond-shaped units supported by a diagonal steelmullion grid (DelFraino). To overcome the effect of direct light, heat and glare caused by this continuous glass skin aluminum expanded metal mesh interlayer is stretched between layers of glass. This is used in half of building’s façade which gets maximum solar exposure like the south facing sides. In other areas, like the north facing reading rooms, plain glass is us-

242. Light fixtures in the white fabric-wrapped squares covering the ceiling and walls in the reading room. 105


243. Entrance from the 4 th Avenue into level 1.

ed in the skin (Seattle Public Library website). The building is designed to control the type and quantity of sunlight. Library program areas are located such that each receives appropriate light according to its function. The reading areas in the Living Room face south thus it gets light filtered by the metal mesh layer. The Betty Jane Narver Reading Room, however, faces north and it has more controlled light with less glare, which is more favorable for reading. An atrium starting from level 3 and going up till level 9 provides indirect daylight in the book spirals. A similar atrium on level 11 provides light to the administration level and on level 10. Artificial Light

244. Entrance from the 5 th Avenue into level 3.

General lighting of areas is done so as to give each space its characteristic style. On the first level Quartz light fixtures are suspended from the ceiling of the entire floor, creating a plane of light throughout the space. In the Story Hour Room on level 1, the random lights mimic a starlight pattern. In the book spirals the ceiling is covered with clear polycarbonate panels with fluorescent lights. On the level 10 Reading Room the ceiling underneath the administration platform and the walls are covered with soft 4-foot by 4-foot white fabric-wrapped squares, many of which have lights attached in the center (Seattle Public Li brary website). The study tables in the reading areas have individual lighting fixtures for indirect reading light.


245. View of the concrete box of the main service core seen on level 3.

246. Escalator for the book spiral accessible from level 5.

The library has two entrances from different levels on the 4th and the 5th Avenue side. The entrance on the 5 th Avenue leads to the ‘Living Room’ on level 3 which is a larger and a spacious entrance. The entrance on the 4th Avenue leads to a lobby on level 1. This entrance is smaller compared to the 5th Avenue entrance and seems scaled down for the children accessing the kids’ section. A spiral car ramp leads down to the basement parking level from the Spring Street side. The main service core is located in the southwest corner and has a staircase and elevators which run through all the levels. A smaller staircase is located on the northeast side which is also accessible at all floors. Interlinking escalators and staircases are provided in between the floors in staggered locations. An escalator leads from level 1 to directly level 3 as level two 106


is closed to the public. A perpendicular escalator on level 3 connects it to level 4 and 5. An amorphous staircase, painted bright red, leads up from level 4 to level 5. A one-way-up escalator is accessible from level 5 which moves through the center of the 4-storey book spiral up to the reading room on level 10. A staircase positioned parallel above this escalator is accessible from level 6. The book spiral is a continuous ramp and the reading galleries on level 10 are also accessible from this continuing ramp. There is no separate staff entry or service core. The staircases and elevators are accessible only for the staff on levels 2 and 11. Except for these two levels the staff and user circulation is mostly overlapping or adjacent to each other. The library circulation is confusing in certain places and requires traversing long distances. The escalator in the book spiral leads up but there is no visible direct means to get down. A part of the floor length needs to be crossed to reach the service core or the staircase to move down. Within the book spiral, though the numbered Dewy Decimal system helps in navigating the stacks, still the continuous ramp and stacks can make searching for a specific book a tedious and lengthy task. For easy navigation all the vertical circulation services have been painted neon- chartreuse except for the bright red staircase on level 4. The library circulation has been provided keeping handicap accessibility as a decisive factor, with its numerous elevators, escalators and even the slope of the book-spiral ramp.

247. Main circulation areas in the library for users.

248. Staircase leading from level 4 meeting rooms to level 5 ‘Mixing Chamber’.

4. Ancillary Spaces

Ancillary spaces are placed within the library design at different levels. Each of these spaces has their own individual characteristic. A 275-seat Microsoft Auditorium is accessible from level 3 which has seats set on its treads. Its side aisles form a stairway descending down to the 4 th avenue entrance floor. The children’s area on level 1 has an Anne Marie Gault Story Hour Room where story times in many different languages are held. FriendShop (gift shop) and Chocolati coffee cart with seating for 20 are provided on level 3. The teen center on level 3 offers two sound domes where listeners can here music without disturbing other patrons. A special music collections and performance arts workspace is provided on level 8 and large multi purpose lecture and meeting rooms are provided on level 4. An exhibition space is located below the Auditorium.

249. Corridors of level 4 with curved walls of the meeting rooms, flooring and ceiling painted in shades of red.

250. Toddler’s play area in the children’s section on level 1.

107



251. Auditorium used for performances and concerts.

252. View of the fiction section with the nylon carpet printed in images of leaves and grass.

The acoustical treatment of each level is done differently so as to muffle sounds in some places and to encourage it in some places. In the Living Room the Worthwood floor absorbs noise and vibration along with the patches of nylon carpet printed with images of grass and plants. Acoustical treatment is given to the auditorium with dove gray wood paneling and custom-designed curtains which have two layers; one is acoustically absorbent and the other is made of a reflective, flameproof material. The Reading Room ceiling and walls are covered with soft 4-foot by 4foot white fabric-wrapped squares which form acoustical pillows and keep the space quiet. Different colored carpeting patterned with plant foliage in three distinct areas of the reading room also helps muffle the sound. In contrast the ‘Mixing Chamber’ on level 5 has an aluminum floor with no sound proofing to let the sounds from this area infiltrate into other areas (Seattle Public Library website). Heat in the building is considerable reduced by the use of aluminum wire mesh sandwiched between two panes to reduce heat buildup from sunlight in about half of the curtain wall. Landscaping and exterior design have been designed to reduce the heat island effect and automatic lighting controls to reduce light pollution. A monitoring system automatically adjusts for thermal comfort and maximizes daylight in 90 percent of all regularly occupied spaces (Seattle Public Library website).


253. Information desk on level 1 from the 4 th Avenue entrance.

All the books and reading materials have RFID chips installed within which prevent unauthorized access and removal from within the premises. Each floor has its service desk to help and maintain control of the users however the large spans make it difficult to monitor all areas. The black columns and ceiling in the Mixing Chamber are fireproofed and coated with a clear sealer that contains mica chip glitter (Seattle Public Library website).


The library is designed with the basic concept of segregating the function into two primary groups. One group has all the fixed functions which won’t reuire 110


drastic change and the other group has all the functions which might need to be modified or spatially altered over a period of time. The parking, staff level, meeting rooms, book-spiral and the administrative headquarters are all placed in 5 platforms as fixed, permanent functions. The in-between functions are the ones which require flexibility and change over a period of time. These spaces are mostly public areas with distinctive service and sections and will most likely change with the growing number of readers and the changing technology. This division encourages change by redefining use and forming new programs in certain sections but not at the cost of encroachment on other fixed sections. The main concern was for the growing number of non-fiction stacks which formed 75% of the collection of the library. This problem was solved by the design of a book-spiral which is a 4-storey continuous ramp with enough room to double the current holdings of around 750,000 books to about 1.4 million. This means that the continuing collections grow within the fixed platform of the book-spiral without being shifted or divided into other areas. Compact shelving has been provided along with the stacks for accommodating the growing collections. The aluminum flooring in the technological sections has interchangeable square units, and is screwed on to raised plenums to accommodate inevitable changes in the technological need (Lamprecht 56).

254. Platforms with fixed functions and in-between flexible areas for future changes and expansion.

255. Search and technical section in the book spiral.

8. Technology

The changing technology and means of accessing information has been one of the driving factors that has shaped the program and design of the library. The new design does not aim to absolve books from being an important means of knowledge and information. But in an era where most of the library collections can be stored and accessed via a single computer, potential rethinking has been done to define the coalition between printed and digital mediums. The idea that has emerged is that technology can be a means to enhance the sorting, accessibility and quality of the printed material. The library program seeks a new parity amongst the various modes of information both printed and digital.

256. Computers in the reference section of the ‘Mixing Chamber’ on level 5.

The design of the library building has seen the effects of this thinking in the grouping of its spaces and in the opportunity that it gives to the library to implement 111


it’s new social agenda. Technology is used in a manner which liberates the spaces to have a more flexible and civic oriented character. The new-age library is perceived as an ‘information warehouse’ which asserts itself as a public domain against the isolated trend of accessing information via a solitary, personal terminal (Concept Book 6).

257. Computer section in the children’s area on level 1.

258. Conveyor belt used for book sorting in the loading dock on level 2.

Thus in the Seattle Library though users can get information without having to go to the library, technology is used as means to gather people within the library premises in various public pockets. Technology, human-contact and the civic outlook of the library are all symbiotic to each other. Seattle library is one of the first libraries of this size and volume to employ a computer controlled automated sorting system. A conveyor system moves materials overhead and through the ceiling once it is checked into the library system. This 250 feet long conveyor system moves the materials from book drops and circulation desks to an automated sorting room on level 2. A book is checked back in to the Library’s circulation system by Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. A computerized catalog system determines which section the book belongs to and is then placed on a conveyor belt. The books are placed in book carts for manual re-shelving or in motorized bins for deliveries to other branch libraries (Seattle Public Library website). This automated handling system reduces the time it takes to get books and other materials back in circulation after they’ve been returned. It also leaves the staff free to work with the users by handing the labor intensive work to the machines and encourages self-check out amongst users. But the computerized system is an industrial task and requires an entire restricted floor for the machines and conveyor belts along with the loading dock.

259. Automated book sorter which moves the checked in materials via the ducts in the ceiling at the check out counter on level 1.

The ‘Mixing Chamber’ on level 5 is an interactive space between librarians and uses. An interdisciplinary desk has been provided for the librarians with computers dealing with catalog and subscription data base. This area is provided for inquiry and service for the readers; eliminating the need to move around in search for a specific material in every section. A wireless communicating system has been installed here which enables the librarians to communicate with specialized librarians in other sections of the library for specific inquires. The ‘Mixing Chamber’ has the 112


maximum number of computers for public use in its reference section making this zone a digital hub of the library. Most of the library areas have wireless internet provision and personal laptops can be used in these areas (Seattle Public Library website). Technology is also used in the form of art installations in public areas to communicate with the users. On level 5, Tony Oursler’s talking video sculptures inside the escalator walls informs the users about the library; George Legrady’s electronic installation above the reference desk gives information on the materials checked out of the library recently. Gary Hill’s computer generated images are projected on the wall of the atrium on level 10 (Seattle Public Li brary website).

260. Largest collection of computers in the reference section for research and study.

113

4.5 Inferences

114

Chapter 5.0 Conclusion

Conclusion

Conclusion This chapter is an attempt to summarize and draw conclusions from some significant observations derived from the overall study and the analysis of the selected case studies. The conclusion is restricted to the ideas and factors already mentioned in the course of the study in previous chapters. The intention of this study is to understand the changes taking place in the perception of public libraries which in turn is also affecting its architecture. It looks into a range of public libraries of varying scales located in different contexts, each having a unique aspect and an individual set of concerns. The observations from the analysis of case studies in both chapter three and chapter four is that though the libraries are from different time periods and in different contexts all of them are significantly affected by technology and the need to gather people. In the Indian libraries a majority of the rejuvenation plans depend on provision for technology and public spaces which can attract and serve their community of readers. The libraries have their fixed set of readers but there is a growing need to provide spaces for sup portive activities other than just reading. Proper planning and enhancement of existing spaces is required for the Indian libraries rather than just haphazard extensions. In the Indian libraries the facilities and the civic se nse of the users affects the library’s layout and design. The building cannot be made overtly transparent and open for the fear of abuse. It is a complex task to generalize facilities and spaces for the overall community as there is high social and literary diversity amongst the readers. Books are still the only medium of information in many libraries and there is a lack in the overall quality of the areas. The target community for the libraries in India needs to be specific. Despite being a public library, it can still identify its general group of readers and provide accordingly. Public spaces within the Indian libraries require constant monitoring and control. Thus many libraries avoid large gathering or meeting spaces or restrict them to certain hours and events.

116

Conclusion

From the study of the diverse contemporary public libraries the following viewpoints have been derived With the various possibilities that the change in the means of imparting information has brought to the new-age public library, much of the design decisions will depend on the perception which is formed of a public library. There are many choices which can be made while deciding the type, style and size for a public library today along with developing its program. A library can be perceived as a single computer, a room with books and tables to read, a room with no books and only visual media and equipment or a large public square, bursting with activities and providing quiet, insulated nooks. A balanced combination can be put together depending on the kind and size of the community which the li brary serves. It’s the perception which ultimately provides the guidelines for the requirements and design. Information, technology and community are not isolated factors affecting the library perception. Rather they are interconnected and are responsible for deciding each others position in a public library. Technology has brought about the liberation of the library from its original reserved image to a dynamic, contemporary, public space. Possibly for the first time, the social platform and community service which a public library can provide are being seen as vital factors affecting its design. Space constraint is an important concern for most growing and old library buildings. But discarding and tearing down the old structure or building haphazard extensions doest not solve the problem. The public library outlook has changed from being a serious re pository of books to a relaxed, public oriented institution which can house selected collections and cater to a specific community of readers. Thus the collections and spaces in the library can be restricted by deciding the main requirements and kind of collections and the number of readers which the library can comfortably sustain. Ultimately it is not the size and quantity of books that matter in every public library but its quality of collections, services, space and ambience. Libraries are being designed as dynamic spaces either directly or by being included in a multipurpose com plex. They are needed as much for human contact and for social platforms as they are for information and relaxation. 117

Conclusion

The revolution brought about due to technology and the change in the social outlook has brought new concepts to the library spaces. The idea of a casual, interactive and dynamic public space which provides sources for all types and means for information has shifted the public library from its former rigid position of being a repository of books and knowledge. Equality in the means of accessing and storing information is seen as a necessity with the growing resources of digital and electronic data. Printed books; though still forming a majority of the collection’s holdings; have to share space with other mediums of information like art, music, films etc. Knowledge is not seen as merely being in books anymore but in all kinds of media. The change in outlook has affected the elements and style of the public library architecture. With the need to be a more public-centered institution, the library architecture is more flexible and transparent compared to its previous formal and overwhelming stature. The changes brought about in the style and function of public library design from its traditional standing can be broadly represented as follows -

Traditional Library Architecture

Modern Library Architecture

Revivalist, Neo-classical (set elements)

Modern (function oriented elements)

Imposing steps and entrance halls

Street level user-friendly entrances

Domes and rotundas

Atriums and interactive floors

Restricted access to books

Majority open access to books

Bookshelves with ladders

Bookshelves at human scale

‘Temple of Knowledge’

‘Living Room’

Formal layouts and seating

Casual layouts with informal, lounge seating

Stand alone institution

Shared spaces with other organizations and activities

Individual study carrels

Individual computer terminals and seminar rooms

Defensive spaces

Networked spaces

Silence as a rule

Sound encouraged in specific zones

General reading hall

Specialized sections and reading areas

For specific section of the society

For the general community

Discouraged hang-outs and relaxing

Encourages human interaction and relaxing

118

Chapter 6.0 Appendices

Bibliography Books Architecture in the Netherlands Yearbook 2007-08, “DOK Architecten/AEQUO Architects Mediatheek/Multimedia Center”, Ed. Daan Bakker, Allard Jolles, Michelle Provoost, Cor Wagenaar. Netherlands: NAI Publishers, Jan. 2008. Borges, Jorge Luis. “The Library of Babel.” Labyrinths. Ed. James E. Irby. Argentina: Editorial Sur, 1962. Caldenby, Claes and Hultin, Olof. Asplund. New York: Rizzoli International Publications, 1986 Fletcher, Banister. A History of Architecture. 19th edition. Ed. John Musgrove. London: The Butterworth Group, 1987. Fleming, John, Honour, Hugh and Pevsner, Nikolaus. The Penguin Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. Fifth edition. Great Britain and USA: Penguin Group: 1999. Gutheim, Frederick. Alvar Aalto. George Braziller, Inc. New York, 1960 Hughes, J. Quentin and Lynton, Norbert. Renaissance Architecture. London: Longman, 1964 Jones, Peter Blundell. Modern Architecture Through Case Studies. Oxford: Architectural Press, 2002 Kesavan, B.S. India’s National Library. Kolkata: The National Library of India, 1961 Konya, Allan. Libraries: A Briefing and Design Guide. London: The Architectural Press, 1986 Koolhaas, Rem.”Strategy of the Void.” S,M,L,XL. Rotterdam: 010 Publishers, 1995 Majumder, Uma. India’s National Library: Systematization and Modernization. The National Libr ary of India, 1987 Mehrotra, Rahul and Savant, Sandhya. The Fort Precinct in Bombay: A Proposal for Area Conservation Volume II. Mum bai: Urban Design Research Institute, 1994. Nair, P. Thankappan. Echoes From Belvedere: Home of National Library, Kolkata. Kolkata: Associated Book Agency, 2006 Nair, P. Thankappan. Origin of The National Library of India. Kolkata: Associated Book Agency, 2006 Norberg-Schulz, Christian. Meaning in Western Architecture. New York: Rizzoli International, 1981 Pevsner, Nikolaus. A History of Building Types. London: Thames & Hudson, 1976 Kumar, B.D. “Growth and Development of Public Library System in Karnataka.” Siwatch, Ajit Singh. “Growth and Development of Indian University Libraries.” Walia, Harpreet. “Growth and Development of Public Libraries in India.” Library Vision 2010: Indian Libraries and Librarianship in Retrospect and Prospect. Ed. Prof. J.L. Sardana. Delhi: I ndian Library Association, 1999 Thompson, Godfrey. Plannin and Design of Library Buildings, Third edition. London: Butterworth Architecture, 1989. Trachtenberg, Marvin and Hyman, Isabelle. Architecture, from Prehistory to Pos t-Modernism. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1986.

Journals/Articles Boddy, Trevor. “Civic Locus: From Galleries to Libraries.” The Architectural Review: The Library and The City. Vol. CCXIX no. 1312, June 2006. C.S. “Layers of Meaning.” The Architectural Review: Mass. Vol. CCXV no. 1283, Jan. 2004. Davey, Peter. “Book Cases.” The Architectural Review: L ibraries. Vol. CCIII no. 1216, June 1998.

120

Graham, Clare. “Libraries in History.” The Architectural Review: Libraries. Vol. CCIII no. 1216, June 1998. Graham, Barbara. “Integrating New Technology: Research Libraries Enter The Future.” INSPEL 30. Paper delivered at the Open Session of the section Social Science Libraries at the 62nd IFLA General Conference. Beijing, 27 August 1996: 316323. Lamprecht, Barbara. “The Nice and The Good.” The Architectural Review: Material Benefits. Vol. CCXX no. 1314, Aug. 2006. Menon, A.G. Krishna. “Landmark Library.” Frontline. Vol. 19, issue 11, May 25-June 07, 2002. Nair, R. Raman. “National Library of India: A Historical Perspective.” International L ibrary Movement. Vol. 9, no. 1. India, 1987: 8-21 Nair, R. Raman. “Public Library System in Ancient South India.” ILA Bulletin. Vol. XXVII, no.2, July-Sept 1991. Slessor, Catherine. “Suburban Oasis.” The Architectural Review: Hot Issues. Vol. CCXX no. 1314, Aug. 2006.

Internet Articles/Websites Asiatic Society of Bombay. 8 June 2008. Wikipedia. 12 June 2008. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asiatic_Society_of_Bombay. Becker, Lynn. “Sleekness in Seattle.” 2006. Repeat: An archive of writing on architecture in Chicago and the world. 13 May 2008. http://lynnbecker.com/repeat/seattle/seattlepl.htm. Boekesteijn, Erik. “Discover Innovations at DOK, Holland’s Library Concept Center.” Mar/Apr 2008, Marketing Library Services. Vol. 22 No. 2. http://www.infotoday.com/MLS/mar08/Boekesteijn.shtml. Brown-Syed, Christopher. “All Roads Lead to Rome.” 16 Sept. 2003. Ancient and Medieval Libraries. 27 March 2008 http:// www.ithaca.edu/history/journal/papers/sp02ancientlibraries.html Burnette, Wendell. Wendell Burnette Architects. 10 May 2008, http://design.asu.edu/faculty/documents/burnetteCV03.pdf. DelFraino, Steve. “Seattle Public Libr ary - Detailing the Skin.” Architecture Week. 3 October 2007. Artifice, Inc. 10 May 2008. http://www.architectureweek.com/2007/1003/building_1-2.html. Delft Library. AEQUO. http://www.aequo.nl/?p=publicaties&s=vakbladen Delhi Public Library Website. “Library History.” 12 June 2008 dpl.gov.in/collection.html. Draft Development Plan. “Schedule 1”. December 2006, Planning & Development Act, 2000. 13 Aug. 2008. http://www.waterfordcity.ie/documents/developmentplan/Schedule1-RPS.pdf. Draft Development Plan. “Schedule 2”. December 2006, Planning & Development Act, 2000. 13 Aug. 2008. http://www.waterfordcity.ie/documents/developmentplan/Schedule2-%20ACAs.pdf. Krasner-Khait, Barbara. “Survivor: The History of the Library.” History Magazine. October/November 2001. 24 March 2008 http://www.history-magazine.com/libraries.html. Levine, Jenny. “Visiting the Most Modern Library in the World.” 19 March 2008. The Shifted Librarian, TSL Archives. 12 May 2008 http://www.theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/03/19/visiting-the-most-modern-library-in-the-world.html. Library of Alexandria. 23 March 2008. Wikipedia. 27 March 2008. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_of_Alexandria. Rawlinson, Linnie. “Seattle Central Library: Creating the perfect public space.” 2 August 2007. Cable News Network. 13 May 2008. http://edition.cnn.com/TECH. Seattle Public Library Website. 13 May 2008. www.spl.org. Spoon, Jacalyn.C. “Ancient Libraries of Greece and Rome: A Summary of Research Findings”, 1999. http://www.ithaca. edu/history/journal/papers/sp02ancientlibraries.html.

121

Stockholm Library, Great Buildings Online. 2008, Artifice, Inc. 10 May 2008. http://www.GreatBuildings.com/buildings/Stockholm_Library.html. Such, Robert. “Seattle Public Library.” Architecture Week. 20 April 2005. Artifice, Inc. 24 March 2008. http://www. architectureweek.com/2005/0420.html. The Seattle Central Library, 2004. OMA & AMO. http://www.oma.eu/index.php?option=com_projects&view=overview &Itemid=10. Waterford City Development Plan. 21 Jan. 2002. Waterford City Council. 13 Aug. 2008. http://www.waterfordcity. ie/documents/developmentplan/CityDevelopmentPlan.pdf. “Welcome to the Library of King Ashurbanipal Web Page.” 27 March 2008 http://web.utk.edu/~giles.

Articles published by the libraries

“History of David Sass oon Library.” David Sassoon Library and Reading Room Archive. English Pamphlet. “Sheth Maneklal Jethabhai Pustakalay (M.J. Library).” Ahmedabad: M.J. L ibrary, March 24, 2006. The Sassoon Mechanics’ Institute. “Library and Reading Room.”. Bombay: September 1930. David Sassoon Library and Reading Room Archive.

Students Work

Patel, Sameer. Critical Look into Revivalist Trend in Architecture with Reference to Ahmedabad. Ahmedabad: CEPT Univ. School of Architecture, 2003 (TH-0826) Vohra, Nasir Ahmed M. Study of Design Norms for Libraries of Educational Institutes. Ahmedabad: CEPT Univ. School of Architecture, 1989 (TH-0384)

Interviews

Mr. David Cartoz Prof. R.J. Vasavada Prof. Miki Desai Mr. Vivekanand R. Ajgaonkar Mr. Shantibhai B. Patel Mr. Ashim Mukherjee Mr. P. Thankappan Nair

Architect from Bombay Collaborative, the firm in charge of restoring the David Sassoon Library Initial architect for the proposal to renovate M.J. Library by the AMC Research on the architectural style and elements of M.J. Library President Emeritus, David Sassoon Library & Reading Room Principal Librarian at M.J. Library Library information officer, at the National Library of India Historian and author on Kolkata and the National Library

E-mail correspondences

Marijke Timmerhuis Erik Boekesteijn Aat Vos Jodee Fenton Josh Bentley

Librarian, DOK library, Delft Communication and Innovation Department at DOK library Architect of the interiors of DOK library, AEQUO Architects Hugh and Jane Ferguson Seattle Room, Seattle Public Library Architect from Gould Evans, architectural firm in partnership with Wendell Burnette for the design of Palo Verde Library and Community Center 122

Illustration Credits All the illustrations, photographs and drawings included in this document are unless specifically credited as otherwise, the work of the author. 2, 30 3 4 5 6, 70, 74, 78-79 83, 84 7 8 9a 9b, 10 11 12 13, 14 15 16, 19, 20, 21, 26 17 18, 22 23 24 25, 26 27 28 29 30 31 32, 33, 34 35, 36 37 38-45, 47, 88, 108 46, 89, 90, 91 49, 50 51 52, 53 54, 55, 56 57 58, 59, 63 60, 65, 68, 69 61 62, 64, 70, 81, 82, 85, 86 66 67 72, 73 76, 77 93-95, 97, 98 107 119, 206 120 122, 123 150, 154 152 191, 205

http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Stockholm_Library.html The Architectural Review, June 2006, pg. 59 The Architectural Review, June 2006, pg. 6 AEQUO architects, lecture by Aat Vos at the NBD reunion. ‘The Shifted Librarian’ photoset, http://flickr.com http://www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/arcnat/lascaux.html http://www.history-magazine.com/libraries.html http://ecai.org/iraq/siteplan.asp?siteid=14 http://archaeotype.dalton.org/library/oldsite/seventh.html http://www.british museum.org Library of Alexandria - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Roman Architecture, J.B.W. Perkins A History of Architecture, Sir Banister Fletcher, pg. 260 The Architectural Review, June 1998, pg. 72-74 Meaning in Western Architecture, Christian Norberg-Schulz, pg.138 Renaissance Architecture, J.Q. Hughes and L. Norbert, pg. 115, 372 British Museum Reading Room - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Bibliotheque Nationale, http://www.greatbuildings.com Bibliotheque Ste. Genevieve, http://www.essential-architecture.com Public Libraries Act, http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk Survivor: The History of the Library, http://www.history-magazine.com Modern Architecture through Case Studies, Peter B. Jones, pg. 125 http://www.earchitect.co.uk http://modblog.tate.org.uk Alvar Aalto, Frederick Gutheim, images 9-11, 16 Vistara - The Architecture of India, pg. 40-41 Asiatic Society of Bombay - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Origin of India’s National Library, P.T. Nair, plates 1, 5, 6, 7, 10, 15 India’s National Library, B.S. Kesavan Delhi Public Library website, http://www.dpl.gov.in Frontline, May 25 - June 07, 2002, http://www.hinduonnet.com The Architectural Review, June 2006, pg. 81-82 Libraries: A Briefing and Design Guide, Allan Konya The Architectural Review, April 2005, pg. 63 Libraries: A Briefing and Design Guide, Allan Konya Planning and design of library buildings, Godfrey Thompson, pg. 43, 79, 89 The Architectural Review, June 1998, pg. 70 AEQUO Architects, http://www.aequo.nl http://www.flickr.com Bibliotheque Ste. Genevieve, http://www.greatbuildings.com The Architectural Review, April 2005, pg. 63 Dok Architecten, http://www.dok-architecten.nl Archives of the National Library India’s National Library, Uma Majumder, plate 4 Google satellite image David Sassoon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Fort Precinct in Bombay, Volume 2, Rahul Mehrotra. Archive of M.J. Library http://www.gujaratestate.com/ahmedabadmap.php Google Maps 123

192, 194 193 196, 200, 201 197, 199, 202-204 207-210, 213-218, 220-222 223, 227, 231 226, 225, 232, 233, 236, 249, 250, 260 224, 228, 230, 234, 235, 237, 238-242, 248, 252-259 229, 244, 245 243, 246 251

City Development Plan, http://www.waterfordcity.ie Draft Development Plan 2008-2014, http://www.waterfordcity.ie Waterford City Library, http://www.archrecord.construction.com The Architectural Review, Jan. 2004, pg. 42-47 e-mailed by Gould Evans, Palo_Verde_-_Maryvale.pdf Seattle Central Library - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia REX – Architecture, http://www.rex-ny.com/work/seattle-library/ Seattle Public Library website http://www.spl.org

Seattle Public Library, http://www.greatbuildings.com Seattle Public Library, http://www.arcspace.com Seattle Public Library, http://news-world-architects.com

Drawing Credits

David Sassoon Library and Reading Room, Mumbai

Architectural drawings provided by Mr. David Cartoz, architect, Bombay Collaborative, Mumbai for the restoration of the library building. The drawings have been re-drawn and additional information concerning the interior spatial layout and use of space has been added by the author. M.J. Library, Ahmedabad

Measure drawings prepared by Mr. Bakul Jani under the guidance of Prof. R.J. Vasavada for his project for A.M.C. Ahmedabad. The additional information concerning the interior spatial layout and use of space has been added by the author. Waterford City Library, Ireland

Library drawings acquired from The Architectural Review, Jan 2006, Vol. CCXV no. 1283. Waterford City Development plans obtained from - http://www.waterfordcity.ie/documents/developmentplan/DraftDevelopmentPlan2008-2014Map-CityCentreOnly.pdf Palo Verde Library and Community Center, Phoenix, USA

Drawings e-mailed by Josh Bentley, Gould Evans as Palo_Verde_-_Maryvale.pdf for 2007 Institute Honor Awards for Architecture. The drawings have been re-drawn and additional information concerning the use of space has been added by the author. Section AA on plate 9 is from The Architectural Review, April 2005, Vol. CCXVII no. 1298 and is re-drawn by the author. Seattle Central Library, USA

Architectural drawings e-mailed by Jodee Fenton, Seattle Public Library as Central Plans Part 1.pdf, Central Plans Part 2.pdf. Additional information concerning the use of space has been added by the author. Satellite Images on page 101 are from google. Site elevation and sketches on pg. 101 and plate 10 are from The Seattle Public Library OMA’s Concept Book, http://www.spl.org and http://www.arcspace.com DOK Library Concept Center, Delft, Netherlands

Site plan and all level plans from Architecture in the Netherlands Yearbook 2007-08, “DOK Architecten/AEQUO Architects Mediatheek/Multimedia Center”, NAI Publishers, Jan. 2008. 124

Architecture of Public Libraries as Civic Institutions

Recommend Documents