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Libraries

  • The Library That Almost Wasn’t, Hunters Point Community Library

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    2 min read

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    Libraries, all-too-frequently, are sadly neglected. They serve so many wonderful purposes. They are civil centers, repositories of information, waypoints of knowledge and are doorways to other worlds. What should be celebrated is often left to decay. Libraries for many, are their own personal Room of Requirement. In short, libraries are awesome.

    The Hunter’s Point Branch of the Queens Public Library almost didn’t happen. Classic New York City problems, time and money:

    Over the years, it became a poster child for the perils of public architecture in New York, as if the ambition of its design and not the city’s broken bureaucracy was to blame for the library’s extended timetable and escalating budget.

    From the start, pea counters in the city’s Office of Management and Budget didn’t see why Hunters Point needed a big fancy library, notwithstanding all the new apartment towers going up, bringing in droves of young families. The pea counters held the project up. Delays raised costs.Over the years, it became a poster child for the perils of public architecture in New York, as if the ambition of its design and not the city’s broken bureaucracy was to blame for the library’s extended timetable and escalating budget.

    Behold this stunning, marvelous, and albeit slightly self-indulgent piece of New York architecture.

    Looking upon the library from Manhattan
    The exterior
    The interior is awash in warm sunlight throughout the day and has plenty of cozy corners to curl up into

    The New York Times has some incredible stunning photography of the library. You can view all the photos here.

  • The Seashore Library

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    2 min read

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    There is an overwhelming sensation of solitude that overcomes you when you peer deep into the ocean from a solemn place. It’s soothing to ponder life’s mysteries by the seashore during a calm season. I’d venture to say there are more merits to visiting a beach in the offseason as well, devoid of visitors would make for a compelling place to think. I recommend it to anyone seeking solace or contemplation.

    Gong Dong, the founder of Vector Architects designed an incredible library marvel that sits just above the northeastern shoreline of Nandaihe in Qinhuangdao, China. It’s a quickly growing prefecture-level port city (meaning it’s not as large as a sprawling province and ranks above county administrative status). We can expect more architectural marvels to be built here as the city continues to grow.

    The film below illustrates the architectural vision for the library (there are English subtitles available). In the film, Dong states he was initially inspired by a print of an Andrew Wyeth painting, an American artist who regularly explores solitude and nature (among other complex themes).

    Wyeth’s career began as a realist, and he was later influenced by impressionistic works. He considered himself to be an abstractionist, which is apt, considering his dreamlike scenes and ethereal intimacy with the land and sea. His works often leave you feeling like you’re witnessing a simulation. There’s certain spiritual relationship with the unspoken in his paintings — captivating the emotion of the solitary subject.

    You can see more photographs of The Seashore Library below, or visit ArchDaily for the complete archive of photos.