Page 45 - A_View_Of_Their_Own_the_Story_of_Westmount

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Welcome t o th e Library
Th e architectura l concep t
O
ne of th e important considerations wa s t o
r
u
m
're-establish th e library in th e park in a way
that wa s appropriate t o it s position a s th e primary
cornerstone of Westmount culture," says architect
Peter Rose a s th e project neared completion.
"The setting would b e a welcome an d congenial
one an d very dignified."
It's September 1995, nearly five years after th e
initial designs were conceived. Speaking from hi s
office i n Boston where h e is now a professor in
design a t th e Harvard Graduate School of Architec-
ture, Mr . Rose describes th e architectural rationale
behind th e design.
How th e library was viewed from th e street an d
from th e park was a n important perception a t th e
beginning, h e says. "I t was ou r observation that th e
building ha d been encroached upon b y th e automo-
bile an d lost it s place of privilege... s o ou r scheme
was a lo t about ho w it would si t in th e park."
"The third consideration wa s th e relationship of
the ne w parts of th e library t o th e Findlay parts. W e
made a n effort t o have th e new pieces no t only defer
to th e ol d bu t also t o engage in dialogue (with it )
across space an d time."
In organizing an d planning th e project, th e
architect uses th e term choreography t o describe
how th e north-south passageway is designed to
move "comfortably an d gracefully" through th e
various parts. This was th e purpose of th e "spine"
which h e views a s a street running through th e
complex. "The ke y element that makes th e scheme
move is th e street that allows disparate parts to
come together into a n ensemble," h e says.
The spine visually connects tw o ne w gardens,
one a t th e ne w north entrance, which h e calls th e
forecourt, an d th e courtyard between th e three-
storey glazed wall an d th e rear of th e Westmount
Room.
"Our ne w entrance," h e says, "i s no t meant t o
overshadow, bu t be juxtaposed with, th e ol d on e t o
give convenience an d choice. Th e ol d on e is "gra -
cious an d glorious from th e park" an d intersects
with th e new spine.
"One of th e things this building ha s as a great
resource i s th e site an d we're trying t o take advan-
tage of it . A room i s a s much about th e spaceyo u
look ou t o n a s th e space yo u inhabit." That i s wh y
the forecourt an d th e courtyard ar e important t o
the interior, Mr . Rose says. "The spine without
those would b e much diminished." Th e reading
room also is designed i n tandem with th e courtyard.
While th e design ha s been "modified i n a
thousand ways," since i t was first presented, h e
notes, "i t remains basically th e same."
Multiple architectural models of th e project
and it s various aspects ar e being given t o th e
Canadian Centre fo r Architecture (CCA) fo r
study use, Mr . Rose says.
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