April 13, 2012
by: admin

Event: Libraries: Between Digital and Physical Worlds
Location: Center for Architecture, 04.04.12
Speakers: Steven Holl, FAIA, Steven Holl Architects; Lorenzo Pagnamenta, AIA, Atelier Pagnamenta Torriani; Tula Giannini, Ph.D., Dean and Professor, School of Information & Library Science, Pratt Institute; Carol A. Mandel, Dean of the Division of Libraries, New York University; Damon E. Jaggars, University Librarian, Columbia University Libraries. Moderator: Lazar Kesic, AIA, Co-chair, AIANY Committee on Architecture for Education
Organized by: AIANY Committee on Architecture for Education

The panel discusses the future of libraries in a digital world.

Daniel Fox

The libraries of our childhoods were lined with shelves of dusty tomes, and librarians were quick to hush even the quietest whisper. By contrast, today’s libraries serve as lively community centers that promote interaction, and architects’ roles in shaping these cultural institutions have shifted. A panel comprised of two architects and three library scientists gathered to discuss successful design strategies and debate the role of books in the digital age.

Lorenzo Pagnamenta, AIA, co-founder of Atelier Pagnamenta Torriani, presented his design for the Mariners Harbor Branch in Staten Island (see Oculus Spring 2012), and Steven Holl, FAIA, founder of Steven Holl Architects, presented Queens West Library in Long Island City—both public library projects in progress. Pagnamenta’s project, clad in standing seam zinc panels and fritted glass, was inspired by Staten Island’s history of oyster harvesting and its form echoes that of a cracked oyster shell—two volumes are split by a central spine bringing natural light into the core. Holl’s design features a poured concrete mass with giant cut-outs that capture views of Manhattan along the building’s circulation path. Stepped in section like an amphitheater, the library’s interior immediately reveals its stacks to visitors. Holl described it as a “tiny building with big responsibilities to the multi-cultural neighborhood it serves.” Though very different in design approach, these projects share several features: they are environmentally sensitive and community focused, providing separate spaces geared towards kids, teenagers, and adults.

“Libraries are great examples of how technology has influenced core educational spaces,” noted moderator Lazar Kesic, AIA, Co-chair, AIANY Committee on Architecture for Education. But they also inspire debate when it comes to old school books versus their more modern digital counterparts. Holl, who is a big proponent of browsing, was concerned about the growing number of libraries that do away with conventional stacks and store books out of sight—or even off-site—in favor of more open study spaces. The librarians insist that while storage of some books is inevitable, they aren’t in danger of extinction. Damon E. Jaggars, University Librarian, Columbia University Libraries, pointed out that the book-to-digital ratio depends on the specialization of a library. Science libraries, for example, might get by with fewer books, but arts and humanities libraries could not.

Both architects and librarians must answer the question of how we can integrate information architecture with physical architecture, according to Tula Giannini, PhD., Dean and Professor, School of Information & Library Science, Pratt Institute, who considers herself a “digital scholar.” These days, everyone wants to capture information with their cameras and scanners, and she believes that libraries should support that creative process. Carol A. Mandel, Dean of the Division of Libraries, New York University, believes that ultimately, “a library is about connecting people with knowledge, and that’s what architects should design for, whether that means books or digital files.” All panelists agreed with Holl’s assessment that a library “doesn’t have to look like a library, but it should be an inspiring space.”

Murrye Bernard is a freelance architecture writer and a contributing editor to Contract Magazine and e-Oculus. www.murrye.com

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