I live in Portland, Oregon but am looking forward to my next trip to
Seattle and the chance to view the new Koolhaas-designed Seattle Public
Library.
The May 24 issue of THE NEW YORKER carries a 3-page article about this
building, accompanied by a color photograph. It is an imposing structure
composed of thousands of panes of glass, described as "the most important
new library to be built in a generation, and the most exhilarating."
Koolhaas and Ramus began to investigating how libraries actually work, and
how they are likely to change. The architects undertook a countrywide tour
of libraries, accompanied by Seattle's chief librarian, Deborah Jacobs,
several trustees and staff members, then held a series of seminars about
the future of the book with "scholars and representatives of Microsoft,
Amazon, M.I.T.'s Media Lab, and other organizations. Their take? The
reassuring notion that people are "not ready to give up on books and that
they are not ready to give up on libraries, but . . . they find most
libraries stuffy, confusing, and uninviting." Their design is meant to be
linear, strives not to break up collections, and incorporates views of the
Seattle downtown.
While the library sounds revolutionary and visually stunning, we are also
told that the building cost a hundred and sixty-five million dollars to
construct in a depressed economy, most of which was paid by voter-approved
city bonds. Who paid for the remainder? How much it will cost to maintain
(the window-washing alone could produce a lucrative income for some lucky
company)?
In my mind, at least, it is possible to be intrigued and seduced by the
glamour of such a project but at the same time, wonder how many books,
tapes, special collections, and salaries - or how many other city-related
social services might have been covered with the money spent to erect and
maintain this "state of the art" library. I am not saying that construction
of the library is a bad thing - only that its erection may have been
poorly-timed.
Has anyone on list visited the new library or have any further insights?