The design of any building has many moving parts, but a library has its own requirements. There is a “paradox in design that librarians and architects must strive to solve: to maintain order while offering variety; to control space and its content while letting people use it when and as needed” (Lushington and Kusack 7-8). It’s not possible for a library to be everything to all people; some compromises must be made. The Lexington Public Library was built in the mid-1980s, at a time when libraries were starting to change from largely functional spaces to ones where the comfort of the patrons is taken into account. The designers chose to make a grand statement from the first steps into the building, a five story atrium which is open to the sky. Although this atrium takes away from the potential space inside, it invites patrons to relax for a moment before continuing into the main library space.
The library occupies a large building in downtown Lexington, a curved block of dark granite and tinted windows. One main entrance faces Main Street, while the other opens onto Phoenix Park, a post-modern plaza centered on a square concrete fountain which spills down several short levels before disappearing under Limestone St. From the multi-story exterior, you walk through a vestibule - an entrance with two sets of doors, one exterior and one interior, to keep the temperature inside more stable - with a single story ceiling before opening back up to the central atrium.
The antechamber opens into a more spacious area, with The Hub cafe to the right and the entrance to the art gallery and the stairs to the Friends of the Library basement to the left. A few steps beyond that, sun spills down the central atrium to highlight the Foucault’s pendulum in the center of the room. The atrium itself is an octagonal shaft rising through five floors to a glass ceilinged roof. In the center of the open space a brass pendulum swings constantly over a stylized map of the United States. The map itself is centered in an eight-pointed star, reminiscent of a compass rose, done in dark gray and white stone which takes up the entire floor of the atrium. Golden wood, creamy stone and the white columns between each level capture and reflect the sunlight from ceiling to floor.On the ground floor high tables with sets of chairs stand in five corners of the octagon with openings to access other parts of the library between them. The remaining wall has two display cases with two shorter tables and chairs set underneath the landing of a staircase to the second floor. On the walls between the first and second floors, sketches of horses in various poses surround the atrium, tying the library into the horse heritage of Lexington. Following the pendulum skyward, the largest ceiling clock in the world (“Ceiling Clock”) surrounds the opening to the sky. Roman numerals for the hours and minutes highlight the dark brown of the clock, as does a series of running horse images which circle the face to keep the seconds.
The atrium displays some characteristics of the “Prospect-Refuge Theory” (Appleton), according to Kathryn Goldenoak, an interior designer. The theory puts forth the idea that humans are intrinsically attracted to spaces where they have the best vantage points (prospect) while still keeping themselves safe (refuge). “While prospect-refuge theory has since been widely used to interpret a range of architects’ works, relatively little evidence is available to support its application” (Dosen and Ostwald). That said, designs which incorporate these ideas are usually well received. By creating rooms which open onto the atrium, patrons feel simultaneously secure and free. Sunlight is much brighter than any interior light, giving users higher visibility of the materials and keeping the mind more awake. The cafe, along with the available seating, offers an opportunity to relax while you grab a snack. There is even a nook set under the landing to the second floor where you are tucked away from the main flow of traffic.
The atrium gives the library a center, a vault of light and well-being. “The space is literally uplifting, in that you lift up your eyes,” Goldenoak enthused in our interview, “similar to Gothic cathedrals.” As soon as you walk through the door, your eyes are invited to follow the pendulum skyward to the glass ceiling. Sunlight cascades down creating a connection between patrons and the sky, even in the middle of a steel and stone building. The placement of the pendulum emphasizes this connection with the wire literally connecting the roof to the floor. Both the clock and the pendulum also add dynamic elements to the static structure of the atrium, as does the movement of the sun throughout the day. The stationary and kinetic aspects combine to create a sense of stepping outside time.Both libraries and atria are ancient concepts. Roman architects included an atrium in many homes as a way to add light and fresh air into otherwise dark buildings. Libraries are even older than the Roman Empire. The first documented library was in Babylonia in the 21st century BCE (“Library”), though the most famous by far is the library in Alexandria, Egypt, which was built in the third century BCE.
For this and other reasons, libraries often conjure images of ancient, monolithic construction and a temple-like stillness. The atrium in Lexington plays on all these images. White columns, similar to those in ancient temples, support the stories along the sides of the atrium, while the pendulum and the Roman numerals on the clock invoke ancient civilizations and the sciences. Casting this ancient imagery against a backdrop of modern wood and glass invites you to remember a time when the world was a much smaller place - one where learning and knowledge were highly respected - and juxtaposes that solemnity and endurance with the increasingly transient nature of our present-day lifestyle. For example, changes in building styles, or clothing for that matter, used to take decades if not centuries to emerge, become popular, and fall by the wayside; now, they cycle in mere years (Goldenoak).Today we emphasize speed and dedication to a goal, sacrificing our personal health. With the pendulum at the center of the floor in the atrium, patrons must take a short detour from the direct line from the entrance. This creates a break in the flow, which gives the patrons a chance to breathe, to reset themselves from the busy rush of the day. In the hour I sat in the lobby, eight out of ten people stopped to watch the pendulum for a moment, to look at the sky, or to sit at a table and unwind. This distraction allows the body and mind to rest for a bit, a micro-moment of meditation. “When you meditate, you clear away the information overload that builds up every day and contributes to your stress.” It increases your concentration and helps you to manage stress (“Meditation”). Libraries are stereotypically quiet places where librarians go around shushing everyone. A working library is rarely that silent, but children’s cries and ring tones definitely catch the ear when they occur. The library provides a haven from the constant bustle of our everyday lives, giving us a critical respite from today’s on-the-go lifestyle.
Libraries are as important today as they were in the past. While the knowledge they store is critical, there is more to a modern library than simple facts. In Lexington, the architects have literally connected the past to the future, calling up images of a temple of knowledge housed in a contemporary space filled with glass and light. The atrium provides light and open space to each floor of the library, making the entire area a comfortable place to rest. While the concept of a library has proven itself to be timeless over the centuries, marking time is very important to our society, as embodied by the pendulum and the clock. That juxtaposition, highlighted by the atrium in Lexington, gives our minds an interesting puzzle, a distraction from the daily bustle of our society, and a moment to reflect on the wisdom you will find inside. Works Cited
“Ceiling Clock & Foucault Pendulum.” Lexington Public Library. n.d. Web. 8 Nov 2014.
Dosen, Annemarie S. and Michael J. Ostwald. "Prospect and Refuge Theory: Constructing a Critical Definition for Architecture and Design." Abstract. The International Journal of Design in Society 6.1 (2013): 9-24. Print.
Goldenoak, Kathryn. Personal interview. 23 Oct 2014.
“Library.” The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. 2014. Encyclopedia.com. n.d. Web. 29 Oct 2014.
Lushington, Nolan and James M. Kusack. The Design and Evaluation of Public Library Buildings. Hamden, Connecticut: The Shoe String Press, Inc., 1991. Print.
"Meditation: Take a Stress-reduction Break Wherever You Are." Mayo Clinic. 19 July 2014. Web. 4 Nov 2014.
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