Comments on: Pitts: Put downtown library on the block

By: DOCOMOMO/US, Georgia Chapter News › UPCOMING EVENT: Breuer Lecture

DOCOMOMO/US, Georgia Chapter News › UPCOMING EVENT: Breuer Lecture — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 23:17:03 +0000

[...] includes about $40 million to overhaul the central library downtown…” according to a recent Creative Loafing article (AJC article here). Pitts says “Rather than spend $40 million to renovate an old [...]

By: Henry

Henry — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 15:22:12 +0000

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!

By: Joeventures

Joeventures — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 14:23:22 +0000

As this map demonstrates quite well, there is already shit loads of parking available downtown. Downtown doesn't need more of that shit.

By: Henry

Henry — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 03:03:51 +0000

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.

By: James

James — Thu, 29 May 2008 22:10:08 +0000

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…”

By: Insider

Insider — Thu, 29 May 2008 22:01:02 +0000

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.

By: DaleC

DaleC — Fri, 23 May 2008 19:11:51 +0000

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.

By: Odd Ogg

Odd Ogg — Fri, 23 May 2008 18:58:43 +0000

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.

By: GPBurdell93

GPBurdell93 — Fri, 23 May 2008 16:14:03 +0000

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.

By: atlpaddy

atlpaddy — Fri, 23 May 2008 04:03:13 +0000

Rob Pitts is money wasting moron.