When that controversial Brutalist structure is your family’s neighborhood library
Living downtown, it’s funny now to see media coverage of the Marcel Breuer-designed Central Library. When we lived in other neighborhoods, I would read comments from people complaining about the Brutalist architecture and arguing for demolition — and I would calmly think: “but I like that building; oh well…beauty is subjective.”
But now that I live three blocks away and my family uses this library regularly, I read things like this post on Curbed Atlanta very differently. When someone talks about demolishing a structure that now serves as my neighborhood library, I get angry. That’s the place that serves our family — where we check out books and videos for our kid! It’s part of where we live and we like it.
Regardless of what is implied by the post, I’m not aware of demolition threat to the Breuer building at the present time. But there is at least one voice calling for a grand new Downtown library to be built on another property and selling the Breuer building.
I think the best plan is to keep the Central Library here and dramatically renovate the building interior. The former Whitney in NYC — also designed by Breuer and nearly identical to the Central Library — was given a fabulous renovation recently. It really shows what kind of good things could be done with the library. See photos of it here:
Once home to the Whitney Museum, the Brutalist building will now serve as the Met's home for modern and contemporary…ny.curbed.com
As for programming, how about getting the library to partner with a local institution like the High or the History Center to put a museum-type feature in part of the building? I’ve been saying that downtown needs a good spot for telling its history for a while. And art displays work well in this building. With more residential construction bringing more people to downtown, there’s going to be a growing need for cultural, public space in the neighborhood.
Also, the way the sunlight hits this building in the morning and the evening is awesome. Visit it on a sunny evening one day as the golden rays create long shadows on the diagonal groves that line the exterior. It’s lovely.
