Friday 26 March 2010

Curno Public Library and Auditorium - Archea Associati

Tyler Cowen calls this new library and auditorium by Florence-based architectural practice Archea Associati “beautiful.”

Archea-Associati-Biblioteca-e-Auditorium-Comune-di-Curno-012

Archea-Associati-Biblioteca-e-Auditorium-Comune-di-Curno-011 Archea-Associati-Biblioteca-e-Auditorium-Comune-di-Curno-08

Beautiful? What say you good folk

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mmmmmm. I like it! :)

But...I think there was an opportunity lost. The clean lines and light/shade contrast (interior and exterior) are the best features - seems to draw reflection out of me. And the stark grass lawn assists in this.

However, couldn't the internal text wall have had some text and/or images with more direct meaning? (rather than what seem to be random letters). Perhaps and evolution from Egyptian heiroglyphs to contemporary alphabets, or actual texts - maybe quotes reflecting on the value of learning and thought. Even an exposition on the Dewey decimal system ;)

Ditto on the outside - large public structures to me almost always represent to quietly remind/educate the public of history - local or national or global people/quotes/images in relief on the shaded walls would have been nice. You could even have art/sculptures that fit with the building installed, and perhaps regularly replaced in exchange with another place.

Oh, minor point - how would the hard surface (wood or lino?) floor fit with sound & echoes? Most NZ libraries seem to adopt carpet at least partly for this reason.

But overall, a win for the architects. Maybe they should get Queens Wharf.... ;) kidding.

Anonymous said...

Oh, forgot to ask above - the 'auditorium' is external? Seems the two tiers of steps are actually seating for an external pseudo-amphitheatre. But it goes straight onto what the 1st photo hints is a carpark... odd, though practical, I suppose. I guess the speakers will have to watch they don't gte floored by a Fiat, as opposed to a fiat.

Anonymous said...

wow, that's fantastic. great piece of architectural work.

Kiwiwit said...

Stunning. Echoes of pyramids/Great Library of Alexandria. More pictures here: http://www.architonic.com/aisht/curno-public-library-and-auditorium-archea-associati/5100371

Why can't we design public buildings like this in NZ?

Shane Pleasance said...

I adore the materials and the structure. One imagines how it might look with the bookless shelves adorned?

I am genuinely not sure if I would want to spend time there.

Some of those shelved corridors look like they would make me feel claustrophobic.

Perhaps a chair, a book and some people might help.

Keith M said...

A brick dropped in the middle of a perfectly good lawn. Stalin would be proud of it.