Context:
The library forms one side of Copley Square opposite Richardson's
Trinity Church and the John Hancock tower. As a place making device, the
building is a solid mass creating one of the "walls" of the square.
Even in light of the need for additional space, it was later added
onto, not replaced altogether.
Inspiration:
Architects Mead, McKim, and White used the library as a vehicle for
an American
resurgance in "Classicism". Taking clues from the work of a myriad of
sources such as Labrouste's Bibliotheque Sainte-Genevieve, the Roman
Coloseum, and Bramante's Cancelleria. The form of the building is
modeled on an Italian palazzo, complete with a serene courtyard.
Details:
The elaborate decoration and detail used in the great spaces of the
library were the result of a close collaboration between artists to create
a "palace for the people". Artists and sculptors such as Sargent, Abbey,
Pratt, and Saint-Gaudens helped adorn the library. The many levels of
detail
reflect the care taken by the designers to produce a complete building.
Care is taken to intrigue the viewer to look ever closer at the levels of
detail, whether it's in the sizes of windows or finishing trim of
the plaster moldings.
Foresight:
The Guastavino vaulting is an example of the designer's ability to
anticipate the changes such a monumental civic building would need to go
through in its life. Even though the common pactice at the time of the
library construction was to use state of
the art cast iron book stacks, this method would not have allowed the
flexibility of layout that the vaulting has provided over the decades.
By having vaulted spaces, the placement of books was not permanent
and allowed the library to greatly expand its collection over time.
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