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entry for the 1998 ACADIA International Ideas Competition

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a Library for the Information age:    [from the competition outline]

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... Today, the library is more than a hushed place of meaning. It has become a social place accommodating      public activities. New technologies, particularly electronic media, have radically influenced the program and      typology of the library. Yet, in spite of social, technological, and material changes, the essence of the library      has not changed-it remains a place of learning. Indeed, a     r e v i e w     o f     i t s     t y p o l o g i c a l     d e v e l o p m e n t                 r e v e a l s     c o n s i s t e n c i e s     a n d     a     d i v e r s i t y     t h a t     a r e     i n s t r u c t i v e     i n     p r o j e c t i n g     t h e     f u t u r e     o f    t h e         l i b r a r y.

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.As a first step towards redefining the typology of a public library, the focus was on its meaning as a place of

.social influence. Not only is a library a place of learning, but it is also a place that is a reflection on its

.surrounding society and culture. The mere presence and, typically, grand scale reflect societies goals and

.priorities on education and dispersement of knowledge. It is this idea of focusing on the public presence and

.meaning, of a Library in today’s state of culture and technology, that is the crux of our design idea.