Atlanta's Central Library, keep it or replace it? (Forsyth: 2014, landscaping)

[cqholt]

Central Library doesn
The building needs to stay and be upgraded, while some people may not like the Brutalistic design, it is a historical building, one that deserves saving. Especially when the replacement may be 1/5th the size with 5X more parking. More parking in Downtown?

The library board is now concerned the $27 million dollars earmarked for the second phase branch renovations is not enough so they'd like to divert much of the $84 million in bond money earmarked for the new central library — $50 million of which isn't available until donors start writing checks. The new central library at a new location would be a much smaller building — possibly one-fifth the size but with five times as much parking — but would allow Fulton commissioners to say they respected the wishes of voters by providing a new central library per the master plan approved in 2008.

[testa50]

They should turn the old Archives building into the library.

If the alternative is some municipal new-build surrounded by a sea of asphalt, then just stay in the existing building.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by testa50

They should turn the old Archives building into the library.

If the alternative is some municipal new-build surrounded by a sea of asphalt, then just stay in the existing building.

Why, the current location is convenient to MARTA and all of downtown. Archives building is state owned, in bad shape, and in a bad location, surrounded buy buried freeway on 3 sides.

[jsvh]

The only reason they should be allowed to demolish it is if they are going to rebuild the original Carnegie Library:



http://historyatlanta.com/carnegie-library-stones/

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by jsvh

The only reason they should be allowed to demolish it is if they are going to rebuild the original Carnegie Library:



The Carnegie Library Stones - History Atlanta

Man, that would have been great to hold on to...


Ah well. I think the downtown library could stand some proper renovation. Yeah, it's an important piece of architecture, but I personally think it needs to be opened up and softened a bit. Maybe more windows, a good interior redesign, some landscaping and such.

I know the central branch isn't the most used one, but as more and more is built up downtown, with more residents, then we'll probably see its use grow.

[DreamerD]

I don't think the library's location should be moved. If they need to update it, then they should do it. It's wonderful this library is located in such a happening area.

[cwkimbro]

historical?

Its an ugly building built in the late '70s during an dreary architectural period and a building built without any respect to the old character of Downtown and the Fairlie-Poplar District, even worse it is right there on the corner highly visible from Peachtree St.

The only reason to keep it is so we can just put a minimal investment into it until the city can properly get back on financial footing to look for other long-term plans for the property. It can still be a large, functional space for the time being.

The '70s did some bad stuff to this city.

Its a bonus if we can do a public-private initiative to redevelop the building next door and make Forsyth St a continuous street with better character.

[AnsleyPark]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Central Library doesn
The building needs to stay and be upgraded, while some people may not like the Brutalistic design, it is a historical building, one that deserves saving. Especially when the replacement may be 1/5th the size with 5X more parking. More parking in Downtown?

Couldn't agree with you more.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by cwkimbro

historical?

Its an ugly building built in the late '70s during an dreary architectural period and a building built without any respect to the old character of Downtown and the Fairlie-Poplar District, even worse it is right there on the corner highly visible from Peachtree St.

The only reason to keep it is so we can just put a minimal investment into it until the city can properly get back on financial footing to look for other long-term plans for the property. It can still be a large, functional space for the time being.

The '70s did some bad stuff to this city.

Its a bonus if we can do a public-private initiative to redevelop the building next door and make Forsyth St a continuous street with better character.

See:

The Central Library, completed in 1980, was the last building to be designed by Bauhaus-movement architect Marcel Breuer. The building, designed in the brutalist architectural style, is considered a "masterpiece" by architectural experts, such as Barry Bergdoll, the Chief Architectural Curator of the Museum of Modern Art, and is closely related to the Whitney Museum of Art building.

It's architecturally significant. That's why I'd rather see it softened, than destroyed. Windows and murals and art on the outside, with a massive overhaul of the interior design would go a LONG way to making it more interesting.

That, or as someone else mentioned on the sub-reddit before, keep the building, but turn it into a museum of art. I say we could donate it (or trade it for other property) to Georgia Tech to use as a museum of urban design / architecture.

[toll_booth]

That brutalist monstrosity doesn't deserve to be preserved. But it'd be hella expensive to replace.