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| title | The Palpability of Literature and Architecture: A Library in New Orleans | |
| student | Caela Beene | |
| instructor | Jonathan Reich | |
| date | Spring 2006 | |
| school | California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo | |
| subject | public building | |
| site | Lower Ninth Ward | |
| description | Inspired by the notion of palpability—a quality of experience so intense that the bodily senses are affected—this project proposes a design for a library that will serve as an anchor for community rebuilding. Located along the busy urban corridor of North Claiborne in the Ninth Ward, the library is designed to serve a variety of community needs, accommodating individual study as well as group interaction through a series of “pods”. A children’s library rotunda on the first floor, attracts the youngest New Orleanians. Multi-level open spaces provide a sense of airiness while establishing connection among floors. Structural features include a large skylight, glass curtain walls, and external wooden screens, all designed to manipulate and balance light within the building. The design of the surrounding environment is as important as that of the built structure in this proposal. Nestled among trees, external reading pods for individuals provide for the enjoyment of New Orleans’ temperate climate. The project also incorporates existing structures that the library joins on its block and creates new uses for them, such as housing for a “writer in residence”. This project aims to heal not only ruined structures but also the community’s devastated spirit by providing a holistic design concept that re-energizes the entire neighborhood. |
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| link | school site | |
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