Possibly The Last Post (for now)

Façade Development

For my library, I wanted to create a large space with a lot of natural light. Originally I planned to line the perimeter of the glass with bookshelves but I realized the sunlight directly on the books can harm them. Instead of a transparent glass facade where the books are, the glass can be translucent. The translucent glass will let in light but not direct light that can harm the books. Translucent glass will also create a silhouette of people and the bookshelves down to the street below.

I also had to look into the actually structure of my library because there has to be more to it than just a glass box. Two-way flat plate system or waffle slab construction was what I was thinking of. I also started to think about how my glass curtain wall would be supported. Because I want consistency along the facade and minimal space between the glass panels; I decided to look into point supported glass curtain wall systems. The spider fittings that hold the glass can be connected to steel trusses, columns and beams, or connected by tension cables.

Below are some renderings of the blank canvas of a facade I am working with on the Brooklyn site. There are also some examples of other buildings façade and structure I intrigued to design and exterior stair cases.

The shorter glass box is where the curtain wall would be translucent glass. The taller glass box above the main entrance can be regular transparent glass to contrast the other glass.

This could possibly be a view from the Brooklyn Bridge looking down at Old Fulton Street or just a higher elevation looking southwest at the library. Under the cantilevering triangle is the second entrance and there is the rooftop courtyard and roof garden.

For the translucent glass panels, I was thinking if there should be a pattern or texture instead of a plain color. I came across marble composite translucent glass panels and I think they’re really rice. It can bring back a historical aspect into by building abstractly. 

The High Museum of Art  was designed by Richard Meier and built in 1983 followed by a 3 building addition by and Renzo Piano in 2002. According to the museums website It is the leading art museum in the southeastern United States. It is also on the list for the top 22 museums in America.

I really like the exterior of the buildings the white panels are proportionate to the glass panels and there are so many different levels of elevations. I think the buildings dynamic and has a nice rhythm.

While researching tension cables for point supported glass panels, I found pictures of the UCONN Stamford Branch Campus. The interior is exactly what I was trying to imagine for my library. I really like the white, glass and stainless steel land how they are just simple and clean. I want to follow a simple pallet of white and grey.

Revision Process and Stair Locations

A lot of spaces haven't changed drastically from the previous plans expect for the placement of fire-stairs and elevators. Because I am trying to promote physical circulation, I took out some of my elevators. The fire-stairs were difficult to place in the floor plans so I decided to do exterior fire-stairs. I think it adds to the facade and doesn't take up any space within my building.

Lower Floor Plans

 

The Lower level of the library has both public and private spaces. half the the lower floor would be storage and private stacks and the other half would be the lecture hall, restrooms and extra open space in the hallway for additional seating and/or amenities.

First Floor Plans

 

The first floor will have a large entrance area and help desk. This space will open up to the grand reading space on the first floor which the majority of adult fiction and non-fiction will be located. There is also the children's reading area, restroom, and the lecture hall which is open to below. I originally had elevators in the main entrance area but removed them to promote using the stairs and it made the large entrance area more attractive.

Last but not least I cannot forget the courtyard. It’s back in the center of the building where it belongs. At first I had the circulation in the middle of the building but the courtyards facade will be glass letting in a lot of natural light and possibly air thought the central space. There will be a “reading garden” where visitors can sit outside and read.

 

 Second Floor Plans

 

The fire-stairs look wrong because they look like a double staircase but it’s one and I am just drawing it incorrectly. The renderings and final drawings will show them properly. I think the exterior fire-stairs solved my stair problem because everywhere I tried to put them they interfered the corridors consistency and layout of spaces.

 Third Floor Plans

 

Another problem I was facing with editing my floor plans was the location of stairs and access to them. People shouldn't have to go through a room to get to the fire-stairs. I was trying to locate them along the perimeter of the building and not for it to be in a hallway and not a room. I realized that not all spaces have to be bounded by walls. For example, the public stack doesn’t need to be bounded by walls, but rather the bookcases can frame out the stacks space.I started to slowly lay out furniture so I can see what can work as far as circulation within the spaces can work.

 Fourth Floor Plans

The fourth floor is small as in interior square footage but it does have a lot of exterior roof space which will be great for views of Brooklyn. There will be a café with a wraparound terrace. There is also a roof garden and roof top courtyard. These spaces will not be as quiet as other reading spaces but visitors are welcome to bring their books up to the roof. I originally had the public stacks on the fourth floor as well making the third floor a double height space but the extra stack space isn’t needed. My building wasn’t as dynamic with all of the floors ending at the same height so I extended the vertical glass spaces upward and some ceiling heights downward.