HeidiL writes “Seen in Architecture magazine’s April issue: http://tinyurl.com/7abkg
Dark Clouds of Knowledge
Far from passé, libraries are the new black. Wiel Arets’s book sanctuary in Utrecht (Netherlands) proves it.
The website only has one picture, so check out a hard copy for more. Isn’t it interesting to think about the use of color (or not) in library design?”
See Also
University of Utrecht Library Has A Page. Archis has a little blurb. I don’t know what What This Site Is, but it’s got some good pictures as well. There seem to be a few other shots floating around out there, This One is neat.
Service
From the article: Once you have looked up what you want, you can go to the specialized section or the librarians will fetch the items for you within 20 minutes
This would not work for all libraries but I think some libraries should consider the idea of pulling books and delivering them to people. At the catalog you just click on a “get this book” and it is delivered to you. Clearly this would not work in all libraries but in some it might be an innovative service that would draw people in.
favorite neutral?
From my days as a fashion advertising copywriter (blushes), “the new black” means to me that something is a sudden trend and/or great neutral that will “go” with anything. I would hate to see libraries equated with a fad, but I love the idea of architecture types saying how wildly popular they are.
“Libraries are becoming the last bulwarks of a culture of acculturation: They are places where you learn, and in learning, become part of a larger world.” This is SOOO much better than the article’s opener, “It would seem that we don’t really need libraries anymore.”