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GD399-OSD / library-identity

Starting place to collect and ideate wayfinding, materials, etc. for the Decker Library
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Ideas for spacial interventions? #3

Open devinhalladay opened 6 years ago

devinhalladay commented 6 years ago

Let's use this issue to organize and workshop concepts for spacial alterations and interventions in the library space, in the Bunting building and Pinckard gallery, and on the exterior of the Bunting.

As an intro: I think the space of the library feels extremely closed and unimportant when compared to the gallery space beside the library entrance, and also because Bunting is entirely unmarked and there is no indication of the vast amounts of knowledge available within the building.

How can we open up the space using simple gestures? Or by modifying the space/its structure/its architecture?

devinhalladay commented 6 years ago

One idea @millenniallglyphs and I have been wanting to propose is that the library should tear down the glass walls between the library and the gallery space to allow space to flow more freely. When looking at the space the architects of Bunting created in the main entrance/atrium, it's clear that the glass walls between the library and gallery were added at some point after the construction of the building. For example, there is an empty void of space above the wall, over which the lighting fixtures freely flow from gallery space to library space, creating a sense of openness and movement. But the glass walls prohibit movement. Thoughts?

devinhalladay commented 6 years ago

I'm also curious if people have any ideas about simple (i.e. low stakes, low investment) gestures we can make within the space of the upper floor of the library to make that space more dynamic. Right now the entire space feels stagnant, boring, and really depressing. What can we do?

Some things to get us thinking:

millenniallglyphs commented 6 years ago

The central question seems to be: how do we make the library a community focal point? On every other college campus I've been to, the library is a hub. It usually has its own building which functions not only as a place for books to be kept, but as a space to socialize, meet and hang out. A lack of communal space is not only an issue within the library. It is a problem that is endemic to the MICA campus. One solution is to move the library. I think it deserves a more prominent place on campus. Furthermore, having a dedicated MICA library building would provide opportunity for needed public space.

Certainly this is a long term solution, but I think its worth examining. Perhaps part of this project could be drafting a proposal to the administration advocating for a new library space.

bjornmeansbear commented 6 years ago

1) the library hours are different than the hours of Bunting the building; so the glass walls are mostly there to "protect" the library from non-open access, easy theft, etc.

bjornmeansbear commented 6 years ago

2) the bulk of the libraries collection resides under ground where you don't immediately see it. So, how to make that more visible? Like create at least the indication that more is to be found below … if only you would enter…

bjornmeansbear commented 6 years ago

3) In terms of location, there isn't really a more central/prominent spot if you think of how our campus is laid out, but perhaps the issue is that historically the MICA library is underused by most students — not even used, not just underused... It is small, there is little space for just sitting and studying, but it probably hasn't historically served this purpose (actually, maybe that would be an interesting thing to quickly study, the library was in station building upon its purchase by MICA in the 60s, and then only moved to Bunting in the early 90s when MICA acquired that building… I don't know where else it might have lived on campus — Main first floor? — or how it has been historically used/seen by the students and campus as a whole)