Inside the Footprint
From the new, one sees the old; from the old,
the new. And the architectural design, the famous
footprint that was so hotly debated from the time of
the first schematics in 1991, suddenly comes alive.
Controversial brain child of architect Peter Rose,
the spine brings together a century of Westmount
history through a myriad of views into the court-
yard, over the greenhouses, across the tennis courts
and into Westmount Park.
"Peter's concept of the spine was a piece of
genius," says Mayor Peter Trent. "But we worried
about it and fought for ages over the point. It was
the big debate."
It aroused heritage concerns from Mark Lon-
don, who chaired the city's Architectural and
Planning Commission, and eventually disassociated
himself with that aspect of the project. "I never
agreed with the way the spine cut through the
historic building and projected so far toward
Sherbrooke Street obscuring part of the Findlay
building," he says. "It changed the choreography of
the old building designed to let people move
through a series of rectangular spaces."
The two original Findlay entrances were
"perfectly adequate" to handle the number of
library users as was the handicap ramp, he says. Mr.
London successfully fought the original Rose plan to
close the Park Entrance and was not alone in his
protest against the size of the new entrance.
"It was massive," says Councillor John Lehnert,
who eventually decided he could "live" with
modifications. Contrary to popular perception,
according to Mr. Trent, the length of the projection
from the face ol the building has remained the same
as originally proposed, but stepping it down to a
canopy and turning the porch west has reduced the
appearance of size.
The basic footprint and the interior layout of
the complex also were bitterly opposed by some
library workers, some professional librarians living
in Westmount and even library consultants Bowron
and Beckman who had been hired by the city. They
called for the modem library concept with one
entry and check-out point, a square open floor plan
that is easier to staff than a sprawling complex and
that has its children's collection in a central loca-
tion. With the old east entrance, the spine made
a second.
"We held firm on the two entrances and I think
it's worked out very well," Mayor Trent says.
The original entrance off Library Drive was
designed to serve users of a library containing
3,000 books not handle the traffic generated by a
collection of 130,000. But it remains vital to the
heritage value of the building, he argues. "Can you
imagine closing off the park entrance to a library-in-
the-park? People would be very upset and we'd be
creating another Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
situation where you went up to the grand doorway
to find it locked." Most users are expected to
choose the new north entrance, however, since it
opens off the new driveway and parking lot.
To appreciate the architectural design of the
new library complex, one should enter from the
new forecourt at the new north entrance and look
straight down the spine to the new building and
then on to the park beyond. It's one of the many
views on this new journey through bookland.
"Peter Rose calls it his street," says the mayor.
"His street leads to his building."
A rhythm of lamp light leads the way along
la
Grande Allée,
as it might be named. On the right are
the flowers in the conservatory. Ahead, on the left,
the spine opens into the central lobby of the
original library with its glittering chandeliers, the
central circulation desk and the original Park
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