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Notes on Architecture

Fri, 09/25/2009 - 02:45 — rcousine

The Vancouver Art Gallery occupies a leftover courthouse from 1905. Vancouver's main public library branch is a big, practical box full of books with a nonsensical facade patterned after the Colosseum.

It could be so much worse.

Meet Edmonton's new Art Gallery of Alberta. It's not a Gehry ripoff, honest! The architect who designed it spent much less than a decade in Gehry's office. (Via Colby Cosh).

And here's the Seattle Public Library. I will admit one thing: the library is a successful attraction. And if I went to Seattle, I'd have to go there. But I think "as seen in the movie Cube!" is the wrong tone to set.

Comments

Fri, 09/25/2009 - 14:23 — ArC (not verified)

You're crazy. The Seattle

You're crazy. The Seattle Public Library is awesome. And I quite like the VPL as well.

Sat, 09/26/2009 - 09:32 — rcousine

The VPL is fine by me!

I do indeed like the VPL! One of the underrated elements of that building is that between the atrium and the pub and the square, there's a reasonable gathering space for people to meet and hang out. The colosseum facade has grown on me: it's not as silly as one would fear.

Mind you, I'm okay with neoclassical decorations.

I haven't seen the SPL in person. But the interior and exterior photos I have seen do not fill me with confidence that it makes its neighborhood more welcoming to people, or that it's a good place to browse for books.

That said, I don't argue with popularity. The SPL is apparently a huge public attraction, even a tourist attraction. I think it's a risky game to build public architecture as a tourist attraction, but when it works, it works.

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