SeattlePublic Libraryoma

Robert Thompson_ DIAWS_08Architectural Analysis_Christos Passas

about

CLIENT Seattle Public LibraryPROGRAM Central library

for Seattle’s 28-branch library system, including 33,700 m² of hq, reading room, book spiral, mixing chamber, meeting plat-

form, living room, staff floor, children’s collection, and audi-

torium, and 4,600 m² of parkingAREA 38,300 m² (412,000 sf)

PROJECT COST $169.2 millionSTATUS Commenced 1999;

completed 2004ARCHITECT OMA | LMN

Library Location.

Reception area in lobby space.

designerswords The Seattle Central Library redefines the library as an institution no longer exclusively dedicated to the book, but as an information store where all potent forms of media—new and old—are pre-sented equally and legibly. In an age where information can be accessed anywhere, it is the simultaneity of all media and, more importantly, the curator-ship of their content that will make the library vital.Flexibility in contemporary libraries is conceived as the creation of generic floors on which almost any activity can occur. Programs are not separated, rooms or individual spaces not given unique char-acters. In practice, this means that bookcases define gener-ous (though nondescript) read-ing areas on opening day, but, through the collection’s relent-less expansion, inevitably come to encroach on the public space. Ultimately, in this form of flexibility, the library strangles the very attractions that differ-entiate it from other information resources.

Instead of its current ambigu-ous flexibility, the library could cultivate a more refined ap-proach by organizing itself into spatial compartments, each dedicated to, and equipped for, specific duties. Tailored flexibil-ity remains possible within each compartment, but without the threat of one section hindering the others.Our first operation was to “comb” and consolidate the library’s apparently ungovern-Entry Situation

Inside lobby looking towards entry

view from madison st.

able proliferation of programs and media. By combining like with like, we identified program-matic clusters: five of stability and four of instability.Each platform is a programmat-ic cluster that is architecturally defined and equipped for maxi-mum, dedicated performance. Because each platform is designed for a unique purpose, their size, flexibility, circulation, palette, structure, and MEP vary.The spaces in between the plat-forms function as trading floors where librarians inform and stimulate, where the interface between the different platforms is organized—spaces for work, interaction, and play.By genetically modifying the superposition of floors in the typical American high rise, a building emerges that is at the same time sensitive (the geom-etry provides shade or unusual quantities of daylight where desirable), contextual (each side reacts differently to spe-cific urban conditions or desired views), iconic.The problem of traditional library organization is flatness. Departments are organized according to floor plans. Each floor is discreet; the unpredict-able fits of growth and contrac-tion in certain sections are, theoretically, contained within a single floor.

In 1920, the Seattle Public Library had no classification for Computer Science; by 1990 the section had exploded. As collections unpredictably swell, materials are dissociated from their categories. Excess mate-rials are put in the basement, moved to off-site storage, or become squatters of another, totally unrelated department.

view from corner 4th ave and madison st

lobby looking towards living room

corner of 4th ave and Spring st.

The Book Spiral implies a rec-lamation of the much-compro-mised Dewey Decimal System. By arranging the collection in a continuous ribbon—running from 000 to 999—the subjects form a coexistence that ap-proaches the organic; each evolves relative to the others, occupying more or less space on the ribbon, but never forcing a rupture.

The Spiral’s 6,233 bookcases housed 780,000 books upon opening, with flexibility to grow to 1,450,000 books in the future (without adding another book-case)....looking down from book spiral to lobby sitting area

generativediagrams

These diagrams resulted from the idea of a hyper-ratianal process.This process is decribed as‘A process which transcends all the baggage that comes with what would be called a rational conclusion’

fig.1 - the evolution of the library itself along with what it holds it illustrates how much aspects of the functions within and supporting a libray has evolved.

fig.2 - maps the evolution of the book compared to other forms of information medium.

fig. 3 - this is a reorganised and compartmentalized illustra-tion of the program parameters given to the designers by the clients which subsequently be-came the main generating idea behind the librarys form.

fig.1

fig.2

fig.3

analysisdiagrams

fig.4Analysis of Building Entry Level: main public interac-tion space

Entry level floor plan

fig.4

fig.54th level: free flowing cir-culation around reading rooms and computer roms

Fourth floor

fig.5

fig.67th floor: ramping element(bookspiral) with views to lower storeys both inside and outside parti-tioned areas

Seventh Floor

fig.6

fig.7Section:book spiral condition+level organisa-tion and compartmentaliza-tion

Section A-A

fig.7

Interpreta-tionsFor the sake of a more per-sonal interpretation.a drawing along with two other model were created to highlight different inter-esting points of the buildingfig.8 represents the break down of the facade/skin of the building into its singular pieces then arrange as a art piece it demonstrates the singularity of the skinthat holds the entire library together.fig.9 takes the pieces of the skin and tranforms them in to volume further highlighing its singularity on a more structural level.fig.11 gives a break down of the elements existing in the model.using tags.‘visually permeable: ex-presses the materiality of the skin.‘floating volumes’: repre-sents the different compart-ments which holds pro-gram.‘structure/bridging’: rep-resents the actions within the structural members of holding on to everything.social platform/hirearchies and users: all represent the concept of the social ef-fects found in this building and how the lines of hirear-chy is blurred.

fig.8

fig.9

fig.10 model from different perpectives.fig.10

visually permeable skin

floating volumes

social platforms

structure/brigding

users

hirerachies

fig.11

Conclusion

The Seattle Library’s design scheme was conceived through programatic manipultation, and the need to redefine the con-cept of the library as history describes it.The Library’s design is a dem-onstration of how to blur the lines of client involvment in the design process, this idea serves intrinsically as a local-ized innovation between client and designer.contextually, the building does not seek a direct responce as it’s main aim surpasses the idea of context. however it re-sponds to contextual elements, mainly the street, with the shifting of it’s volmes creating a relationship between the two.another key concept specific to the building is Social communi-cation this aids in redefining the library as a public space where different themes of interaction occurs.view from above showing the mezzanine level