The library, located in a humble district, provides a needed civic symbol and focus for public life. The tower form is a lyrical typology for libraries that in reality does not exist, owing to the difficulty of placing people and books in stacks efficiently. Nevertheless, the architects - interested more in character than figure -choose a tower form that endows the library with character as well as fulfils an important urban role as civic landmark.
The deliberately slow lift allows panning glimpses of each floor, enhancing under-standing of the building. The architects, eschewing the modernist inheritance of banishing ornament, decorate the building's interior and exterior surfaces. The western facade is painted gold. This (Arabic) allusion to a rich and precious substance is especially poignant in the poor locality; the gold spectacularly catches the afternoon sun and burnishes the freestanding landmark.
There are 0 comments:
Post a Comment