I am sorry that people have had the impression that the current design of the exterior of the new library building is all glass. The pictures are actually a bit vague about the exact look of the exterior as the exact materials have not yet been selected. In fact, the exterior in the current plan is partially glass and partially Minnesota stone. There are bands of stone at each level, with glass windows. This does two things - it lets a large amount of light into the building while still having a tie to the materials and colors already in the downtown. The windows themselves are partially clear glass and partially opaque, giving the impression of books on a shelf. The opaque windows are more prevalent on the south side, cutting down the direct light on that side, with more clear windows on the other sides of the building to let in indirect light.
The building is also not a box. Two street grid systems come together on this block and the block itself is not square but instead sort of trapazoidal. The design is, in fact, two boxes, one aligned with the Hennepin grid and one with Nicollet grid. In the V between these two boxes is an atrium that provides traffic flow through the building and allows an orientation point throughout the building. It will also let in a lot of light and be a pleasant space in the winter. There is also a space on the second floor, "Teen Central" which juts out slightly from the building so kids can hang out and see and be seen from Hennepin Avenue. The exact materials have not yet been selected so it is not yet possible to know things such as exact R values or such. In fact, the proportions of stone to glass on the exterior is not yet set, and is, in part, dependent on how the budget shakes out. Regarding the energy environmental aspects, we are having the architects looking at alternatives but the budget will determine how aggressive we can be. The budget is very tight and we would have to look at the cost-benefits of these systems. Carol Becker Longfellow _______________________________________ 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
