Oculus - Fall 2016 - 47
last words
LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
©Yusuke Suzuki
From "Houses of Knowledge"
to "Houses of Access"
T
hroughout this year, the AIA New York
Chapter and Center for Architecture have
been inspired by the theme "Authenticity and Innovation." Our efforts have focused on a series of
curated projects that include this issue of Oculus,
which is a complement to the exhibit in the main
galleries. The spotlight is on buildings that have
been adaptively reused, and by extension preserved, to accommodate functions that would have
been unimaginable to the architects who built
them decades ago. A building type not explored in
the exhibit, however, is the library. A resurgence of
interest has led to significant investments in library
design projects, such as renovations to the main
branch of the New York Public Library (NYPL) led
by Francine Houben, Hon. FAIA, of the Dutch firm
Mecanoo with Beyer Blinder Belle Architects &
Planners as architect-of-record, and modifications
to many other branches by other designers. Libraries are not simply being restored and preserved,
they are being reimagined to respond to the needs
of the communities they serve. This fall, we are
also examining the changing role of libraries in
an exhibit and symposium, and even in our own
spaces, in an effort to again make the Chapter's
book collection available to members.
In a 2013 project by the Pew Research Center
titled "Library Services in the Digital Age," authors
Kathryn Zickuhr, Lee Rainie, and Kristen Purcell reported that many librarians see the role of
a library, especially in the digital age, as a place
to enable access to information, regardless of the
format. "Public libraries should move away from
being 'houses of knowledge' and move more towards being 'houses of access,'" said one librarian.
Designers, in turn, are being asked to allocate often
precious and scarce space to computers rather than
to books. Many books are now being relocated
to off-site facilities so that technology, offering
more multi-channel access to knowledge, can be
installed in place of stacks.
The struggle between books and technology is
also playing out in our personal spaces. As the son
Authenticity + Innovation: Architecture Repurposed
of an English literature professor, I grew up amid
the spatial challenges presented by owning many
books in a New York City apartment. If you had
asked my late father if he really needed all five copies of James Joyce's Ulysses, he would have insisted,
"Of course!" They each contained different notes
and were read at different times in his life: one for
his dissertation, another when he taught the book
as an adjunct, and so on. Though these books
contain the same words, in a pre-digital era they
represented an archive of thoughts and research.
These kinds of notes we now keep on our laptops
or tablets. In both apartments and libraries, space is
at a premium, so it is no longer necessary, practical,
or even feasible to keep so many books on hand.
To join the discussion about books, technology,
space, and libraries, we invite you to the survey
exhibit "Reading Room," featuring photographs of
NYPL branches by Elizabeth Falicella, currently
on view at the Center. The images help us understand how libraries have been designed and used,
and how architects update them to serve current
needs. On October 29, amidst the photographs, a
symposium on library design and the roles libraries play in civic life will be explored by librarians,
architects, journalists, and scholars.
And finally, the AIANY library will be relocated to the Training Center on the lower level
of the Center. This room will essentially become
a multifunctional médiathèque, taking on many
characteristics of the new libraries we've been exploring. Books will line the southern wall. Laptops
will replace the large desktop computers currently
occupying the space (which will be stored and used
for classes and training, as needed). A table will
be installed for member meetings, reading, and
research. As this space is at a premium, too, we
look forward to creating our own multifunctional
library - or, rather, a "house of access" - at the
Center for Architecture.
Benjamin Prosky, Assoc. AIA, Executive Director
AIA New York Chapter and Center for Architecture
Fall 2016 Oculus
47
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Oculus - Fall 2016
First Words Letter from the President
Letter from the Editor
Center for Architecture
One Block Over
Opener: Authenticity and Innovation
Civic Purpose Repurposed: Brooklyn
Civic Purpose Repurposed: Bronx
A Study in Contrasts
WeLive on Wall Street
A Preservation Paradox
Industrial Strength
Innovation Rooted in History
In Print
97-Year Watch
Last Words
Index to Advertisers
Oculus - Fall 2016 - cover1
Oculus - Fall 2016 - cover2
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 3
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 4
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 5
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 6
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 7
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 8
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 9
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 10
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 11
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 12
Oculus - Fall 2016 - First Words Letter from the President
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 14
Oculus - Fall 2016 - Letter from the Editor
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 16
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 17
Oculus - Fall 2016 - Center for Architecture
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 19
Oculus - Fall 2016 - One Block Over
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 21
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 22
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 23
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 24
Oculus - Fall 2016 - Opener: Authenticity and Innovation
Oculus - Fall 2016 - Civic Purpose Repurposed: Brooklyn
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 27
Oculus - Fall 2016 - Civic Purpose Repurposed: Bronx
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 29
Oculus - Fall 2016 - A Study in Contrasts
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 31
Oculus - Fall 2016 - WeLive on Wall Street
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 33
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 34
Oculus - Fall 2016 - A Preservation Paradox
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 36
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 37
Oculus - Fall 2016 - Industrial Strength
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 39
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 40
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 41
Oculus - Fall 2016 - Innovation Rooted in History
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 43
Oculus - Fall 2016 - In Print
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 97-Year Watch
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 46
Oculus - Fall 2016 - Last Words
Oculus - Fall 2016 - Index to Advertisers
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 49
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 50
Oculus - Fall 2016 - cover3
Oculus - Fall 2016 - cover4
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