There have been a couple quick characterizations of the new library design as just another glass box....That's a pretty understandable impression based on the pictures but there is actually much more to it than that.
First, the exterior as planned is a mix of glass and stone. One of the stones being considered is the indigenous Mankato Kasota Stone, which you see on the WCCO building and which is similar to the Italian stone on Norwest Center. I find this to be a very warm stone that is especially welcome in winter....At one point someone said we would not want it to be the same tone as Norwest Center...I disagree...It's great to have an indigenous stone and I find it far warmer than other stones. (Contrast Gavidaae Common 1 with Saks, which does have the warmer stone, with Gavidaae II which has a nice but no where nearly as warm a stone.) Second, this is much more than just simple glass. They are talking about a very rich overlay of contrasting glass treatments, including a couple versions that would have a light skin on them to create a shimmer effect. I don't like bland glass boxes....which is why I was so excited about Pelli's work when I first saw it as a reporter writing about him when he was getting ready to do Norwest Center. I was sent to Houston to see what he did with what would otherwise have been bland suburban glass buildings. Using a series of glass treatments he made the building shimmer and catch light in a way that made them just jump out of the otherwise sterile surroundings. He did this in a very different way with the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles, and his office has gotten far better with this over the years. I'm really confident this will be a very very rich exterior that's warm, translucent and exciting. This will also set up a very new look along Hennepin. Think about what the new Walker will do a few blocks up Hennepin.....Here another glass building will take one of our busiest corners....where we now see blank walls....and open a window into the world of art...Lots of people and activity inside will hopefully draw people out of their cars.....A few blocks down Hennepin, the library will be doing the same, and people will approach it to see activity and people and light....And at night, from Hennepin or coming across the river, it will add a real sparkle to a part of the city that is now often too dark.....If we can now just get the Planetarium added to it, this will be even more exciting. Even better, the "wing" connecting the two sections of the building will be visible for several blocks. A final separate note, I want to reinforce what CM Goodman said yesterday---and what CM Zimmerman has said in other meetings... about making this a "green building." This is going to be the most important building of our time, certainly from a civic point a view, and it's our hope that it can be done in a way that inspires others to incorporate rooftop gardens and sustainable designs. R.T. Rybak City Hall _______________________________________ 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
