Kenny and I went on a field trip recently to the new
Biblioteca Vasconcelos designed by Mexican architect
Alberto Kalach. It's now the city's largest public library, but the building alone has become a national landmark.
The general shape of the library is simple -a long and narrow corridor, but some innovative choices in the design make for a stimulating experience. For example, the gentle pyramidal silhouette gives the building a sense of weight, and the outer shell of thin slanted shades gives the impression of solidity. This "first glance" gets flipped on its head when you walk inside...
Surprise! All of the bookshelves are floating, and the outer walls have all but vanished. The sense of weightlessness and light flooding in from all sides in this endless tunnel of books is dizzying. It felt like something out of a Harry Potter movie.
The bookshelves are suspended in the space by steel supports from the walls and ceiling.
Just like how your perception of the building changes dramatically as you walk inside, it continues to evolve as you explore the different levels. What appears as a dense and busy cluster of shelves busting out from across the way
disappears as you walk past.
The floors are made of frosted glass tiles (which further enhance the effects of light and transparency).
One of the best surprises was going to the bathroom. No fluorescent-light dungeons here. The glass panels allow air to pass through, so it's like you're peeing outside. And what a great way to deal with ventilation.
The surrounding landscape design integrates seamlessly with the architecture and offers just as many unexpected twists.
This grand entrance doubles as a hike.
-PJ
The general shape of the library is simple -a long and narrow corridor, but some innovative choices in the design make for a stimulating experience. For example, the gentle pyramidal silhouette gives the building a sense of weight, and the outer shell of thin slanted shades gives the impression of solidity. This "first glance" gets flipped on its head when you walk inside...
Surprise! All of the bookshelves are floating, and the outer walls have all but vanished. The sense of weightlessness and light flooding in from all sides in this endless tunnel of books is dizzying. It felt like something out of a Harry Potter movie.
The bookshelves are suspended in the space by steel supports from the walls and ceiling.
Just like how your perception of the building changes dramatically as you walk inside, it continues to evolve as you explore the different levels. What appears as a dense and busy cluster of shelves busting out from across the way
disappears as you walk past.
The floors are made of frosted glass tiles (which further enhance the effects of light and transparency).
One of the best surprises was going to the bathroom. No fluorescent-light dungeons here. The glass panels allow air to pass through, so it's like you're peeing outside. And what a great way to deal with ventilation.
The surrounding landscape design integrates seamlessly with the architecture and offers just as many unexpected twists.
This grand entrance doubles as a hike.
-PJ
PJ,
ReplyDeleteAstute appraisal ... this looks quite impressive. We never hear about works south of the border, unless they're by Legoretta or Barragan (by the way, have you visited Barragan's house?). I'd love to see this library, and am particularly interested in the hike/entrance landscaping, and cleverly designed bathroom. Thanks for the vicarious tour.
Passing this on to Keiko, who has just returned to the states and is living in Sacramento.