Pitts: Put downtown library on the block
May 22, 2008 at 6:02 pm by Scott Henry in NewsIf Robb Pitts has his way, another architecturally noteworthy Atlanta library may soon be endangered. In March, the Fulton County Commission, of which Pitts is a member, voted to place a $150 million bond referendum on the fall ballot, with the proceeds to go toward library system construction and repairs.
That package would include about $40 million to overhaul the central library downtown, but Pitts says he plans to lobby the Atlanta-Fulton Library Board this week to instead consider using those funds on a new building.
“Rather than spend $40 million to renovate an old building, we should build a world-class, signature facility that’s more user-friendly,” ideally across from Centennial Olympic Park, he says.
Opened in 1977, the central library is a largely window-less concrete edifice that’s been compared to a giant cinder block. It also happens to have been designed by Marcel Breuer, a former Bauhaus instructor who ranks among the 20th century’s most influential practitioners of architectural modernism. The library is similar in style to Breuer’s earlier design for New York’s Whitney Museum.
Pitts, who advocates selling the old building, is aware he may be courting a public uproar similar to that which followed the proposed sale of the Buckhead branch library, an eccentric, scale-covered building designed by locals Mack Scogin and Merrill Elam. But he’s willing to give it a shot – in fact, he even wants to consider a new proposal by Streets of Buckhead developer Ben Carter to reconstruct the Buckhead library on another site.
“I don’t see how we can say no to that offer,” says Pitts.
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May 22nd, 2008 at 11:03 pm
Rob Pitts is money wasting moron.
May 23rd, 2008 at 11:14 am
Well, despite his renown, Breuer’s design isn’t much better than an eyesore. It doesn’t evoke “library” the way the Carnegie building it replaced did, and, yes, it looks exactly like what it is: a big concrete block.
Even I.M. Pei says to tear down his first commercial building at Juniper & Ponce. Not every building by even the most acclaimed architects is worth keeping.
I’m leaving aside the economics arguments of the change.
May 23rd, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Pitts is right. It doesn’t matter who designed that building. It is ugly on the outside, but that’s not the real problem. It’s unbelievably vile, filthy and nasty inside. They haven’t taken care of it in decades. Countless books are missing. It’s an absolute disgrace and mostly a haven for the stinking homeless as they read Camus and foul the chairs. The Carnegie Library they tore down years ago was magnificent. Hooray for Pitts.
May 23rd, 2008 at 2:11 pm
I live in a Bauhaus building and offended every architect and wanna-be in the place when I called it BowWow architecture.
Apparent;y, I am a Phillistine.
May 29th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
Folks, take it from me–I work in the Library: A new building will not cure the ills mentioned above: we will have the exact same problems with the “stinking homeless” and theft that we have now, and it will only take a few months of use to sully the pristine interior furnishings, which will doubtless be the cheapest available, since they will have run out of money by the time they realize they need to buy furniture. It will constitute the most obscene waste of tax money ever conceived here, and that’s saying something.
The lack of parking is the biggest physical drawback of the place, and that could be fixed if the County would either buy a nearby garage or rent space in one.
May 29th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Yes…the parking!!!! What parking? Whatever they do I hope they get someplace to park.
Be careful about putting down those who do not have shelter.
“But for the grace of God go us all…”
August 1st, 2008 at 10:03 pm
I remember in the 1970s when the elegant Carnegie Library had to be replaced for the present “world class” library (I was at its dedication in 1980.) If another “world class” library is built to replace the present “world class” library, that library will, at some point, cease to be “world class.” At that point, yet another “world class” library will then have to be built - same ol’ BS.
August 2nd, 2008 at 9:23 am
As this map demonstrates quite well, there is already shit loads of parking available downtown. Downtown doesn’t need more of that shit.
August 2nd, 2008 at 10:22 am
Thanks for the map, Joe…and I’ll further state that if the library is “adaptively reused,” I would like for someone to backhand the first hand-wringing idiot who suggests that it be turned into some multi-story bum shelter. The bums are one of the elements that threatens downtown rebirth. They stink up the damn library and essentially use downtown as their combo toilet-campground.
I hope I have offended any number of sensitive souls - that is half the fun! Slings, arrows and ugly names and comments MOST welcome!