I am really fascinated by this thread. What is intriguing to me is that the current library was built with a "form follows function" design language and many people dislike it's coldness and lack of statement. It was much of the modern philosophy of the time. However, a building is more than it's function, I would argue, especially a library. That doesn't mean you throw out the function for other aspects, but there needs to be a design vision that strikes a harmonic chord. Everybody in just about every building I've worked on, especially downtown, wants a big floorplate. Because inherently we are two dimensional creatures and believe if we can get everybody adjacent to everybody else on the same floor it solves all our problems. We tend to read drawings like mall maps and we think primarily on this one plane. I believe it is part of human nature and part of the struggle to improve how we think, create and eventually invent.
I think the real challenge, is how do we all let go of our socialization? How do we let go of our two dimensional thinking? How do we ensure a functional library without letting that override all the other aspects of a great library? How do we make the kind of civic statement that is important without violating function or spending too much money? These are all great questions and it is the process of answering those questions that is important. It is as important as the actual library itself. R u s s e l l W. P e t e r s o n Saint Michael, Minnesota [EMAIL PROTECTED] ____________________________________ "You can only fly if you stretch your wings." _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
