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physically here, virtually everywhere “how can library design embody the physical and virtual bodies of today’s digital society”

barry mckenna word count: 11,413

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acknowledgements This thesis is dedicated to Dad, Mom, Andrew and Helen. Without your support, encouragement and guidance over the years none of this would have been possible. I also want to dedicate it to my late aunt Mary who was with me every step of the way.

As always I want to thank my friends; especially Andy who was always there for support and advice...... often over a pint!

Finally, I want to thank my tutors Miriam Fitzpatrick, Aleksndar Kostic, Fintan Duffy and Kirstin Simpson, for their many suggestions and continuous support; it has been a busy, but enjoyable year.

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abstract

This thesis seeks to identify the effects Information and Communication Technology is having on today’s society, with a view to adapting the library to create a new architectural typology that will cater for the needs of today’s digital citizen.

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contents Definitions

vi

1.0 Introduction

07

2.0 Background

09

3.0

A Digital Society

17

4.0

A Changing Library

27

5.0 Conclusion

47

6.0 Brief

49

7.0 Site

57

8.0 Reflection

75

Bibliography

84

Illustrations

89

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definitions Cyberspace / cyberplace Denotes a “virtual” world where technology and fantasy meet beyond the user’s computer screen. Coined by William Gibson, in his 1984 novel Neuromancer, to describe a shared virtual universe operating within the sum total of all the world’s computer networks.

Digital Citizen A Digital Citizen commonly refers to a person that participates in society using a certain amount of information technology (IT).

Digital Divide The Digital Divide refers to the gap between people with effective access to digital and information technology and those with very limited or no access at all. It includes the imbalance both in physical access to technology and the resources and skills needed to effectively participate as a digital citizen.

Digital Society A Digital Society is a society in which the creation, distribution, diffusion, use, integration and manipulation of information is a significant economic, political, and cultural activity.

ICT (Information and Communication Technology - or Technologies) is an umbrella term that includes any communication device or application, encompassing: radio, television, cellular phones, computer and network hardware and software, satellite systems

Information Age The current era, characterised by the increasing importance and availability of information (especially by means of computers), as opposed to previous eras (such as the Industrial Age) in which most endeavours related to some physical process or product.

Virtual Body A Virtual body is the notion of having a virtual presence in virtual-space just as we have physical bodies that provide us with a physical presence in physical place.

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intro duction Throughout history architecture has been shaped by the methods with which society communicates. In ancient times the Greek Agora facilitated communication by providing its people with a forum to debate, discuss and share information. With the advent of the book, a new typology emerged, that of the library. This saw architectures role evolve from that of a facilitator of communication to a container of information. The library was born out of a need for information to be stored, passed on and easily assessable to all. Its role was to bridge the literary divide by providing the public with free access to information.

We are now living in what’s termed ‘the Information Age’.

ICT has become the backbone of society as it facilitates in the spread of information and services across the globe.

One of the most important advances in ICT has been that of the Internet. The Internet provides us with a virtual world that exists in parallel to our physical world. Electronic devices such as mobile phones and laptops act as electronic vessels for the virtual bodies with which we experience this virtual world. As a result, new forms of social interaction are emerging as we supplement our daily lives with this virtual existence.

As ICT now provides us with the opportunity to access a world of information from almost anywhere some may argue that the role of the public library has come into question. Yet, with the rapid advances in ICT comes a new form of marginalization termed the digital divide. This difference between the Internet-haves and have-nots is increasing existing forms of inequality and social exclusion.

As a result, the library has been seen as the solution once again to bridge this divide by providing users with access to basic computer facilities.

By embracing ICT as an opportunity rather than a threat, libraries are beginning to free themselves from an old design stereotype that saw them as being mainly repositories of knowledge. They are evolving into communication hybrids as they begin to incorporate theatres, cinemas and exhibition spaces among other things.

However, despite these advances, I believe that libraries are only beginning to provide for the needs of today’s digital society as they primarily cater for media consumption only. Research shows that society has developed a desire to produce media as well as consume it. The popularity of websites dealing with user-generated content is testament to this.

Therefore I believe that in order for libraries to further provide for the needs of today’s digital citizen, they must provide facilities such as video studios, music rooms, and advanced computer labs where users can avail of a level of technology that would exceed the financial means of most people. After all, the library was born out of a need to provide the less privileged with the latest technology, the book. Its role today remains the same; all that has changed is the technology.

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“For every late twentieth- or twenty-first-

century prophet preaching the uniqueness of the ‘age of information’, there is a

sixteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth, or

nineteenth century equivalent extolling or

bewailing the ways in which technological innovation was transforming his society”

(Gorman, 2003, p.14)

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Background

fig 2.0

the switchboard, once a marvel of technology, now a relic of our ICT past

image: flickr.com

a place of chance encounters

10

a place to share knowledge

11

mass media

12

the internet

14

2.0 9

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2.0

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Background

In order to understand the impact information and communication technology (ICT) is having on today’s society, it is important to have a clear understanding of its history and evolution; “we must understand the past, our place in relation to the past, and the lessons that it can teach us if we are to deal with the present rationally and face the future without fear.”1

2.1

A Place of Chance Encounters

Prior to the advent of a significant communications technology, the primary method of obtaining information was through dialogue. This occurred in open public spaces such as the agora or town square. In ancient Greece, the agora was the commercial, political, and social heart of the city and served as a meeting ground for various activities.

It symbolized the public sphere; a place of chance encounters where people assembled to discuss all kinds of topics: business, politics, current events, or the nature of the universe and the divine.2 The concept of the agora changed in medieval times to the town square or civic centre where it continued to be a vital component in urban life.

The agora is arguably one of the most important origins of modern public and civic space. It is a significant example of how we communicated as a society, as information and knowledge were imparted primarily through dialogue and debate. However, this was about to change, as print soon became the primary method of exchanging information.

1 Gorman, M. (2003). The Enduring Library, Chicago: American Library Association. P.xiii 2 Geyl, P (2009). Cities, Citizens and Technologies. London: Routledge P.115

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fig. 2.1

the agora was the heart of the city

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2.2

A Place to Share Knowledge

Early books were one off objects with only the aristocracy being able to afford them. However in 14403 German inventor Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press which had a dramatic effect on how society relayed information.

The book now became a relatively affordable commodity, allowing for a quick and accurate spread of information across the globe.

fig. 2.2

boston public library reading room in 1871

The development of the printing press saw architecture’s role change from being a facilitator of communication to a container of physical information in the form of books. Although the printing press allowed for the mass production of printed media, less privileged members of society were still unable to afford books. This created a new form of marginalization termed the ‘literary divide’ which resulted in the birth a new civic typology; the public library.

The public library became an institution devoted to the diffusion of knowledge. It provided the less privileged with the opportunity to selfeducate thus facilitating in bridging the literary divide. Founded in 1701, Marsh’s Library was the first public library to appear in Ireland and still remains open today. The library contains over 25,000 books relating to the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. When using the library, patrons were locked into cages with books so as to prevent theft.

fig. 2.2.1 cages in marsh’s library prevented theft

The first public library to lend out books to the public was the Boston Public Library in 1850. This access to information provided New England with the highest literacy rate in the country, “there the public library was regarded as ‘the crowning glory’ of the public school system, facilitating the self-education of many people through their access of books and reading”4.

3 Bellis, M. (1996). Johannes Gutenberg and the Printing Press.

Available: http://inventors.about.com/od/gstartinventors/a/ Gutenberg.htm. Accessed 11 March 2010.

4 Redmond, K. Molz, P.D. (2001) Civic Space/Cyberspace, Massachusetts: MIT Press. P.13

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fig 2.3

information overload: critics claim that governments use mass media to brainwash society

2.3

Mass Media

During the 19th and 20th centuries, the spread of information was further driven by technology.

Physical duplication technologies such as printing, record pressing and film replication facilitated in the low-cost duplication of books, newspapers and movies for large audiences.

Existing architectural typologies such as the theatre evolved into movie theatres as they embraced these new technologies. Prior to television, cinemas screened newsreels as a source of information before each movie.

However, the emergence of television in the 1930’s was seen as a threat to the cinema as TV offered a more immediate news service free of charge. As a result, cinema technology was forced to advance rapidly, leading to the introduction of better sound quality, bigger screens, technicolour etc. This encouraged audiences back to the big screen and resulted in the cinema becoming a social and technological spectacle once again.

Televisions threat to the cinema is an important example of how, firstly, advances in communication technology created a new architectural typology, and secondly, how said typology was threatened by the same advances in communication technology. The cinema has

12

survived the threat of television as it provides users with an experience that is incomparable to that of television.

Today, the library is seen to be under a similar threat from the advances of ICT. Therefore, the library must reinvent itself, just as the cinema did, by providing users with the latest in media technology to create an experience unparalleled to that which we would experience in our homes.

2.31

Disadvantages of Mass Media

Although technologies such as the printing press, radio and television convey information across a wider audience, these medias are primarily one-dimensional. In contrast to the agora where information was exchanged through dialogue and debate; these technologies were flawed insofar as they were only capable of one-way communication hence the communicator had complete control without contradiction.

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fig 2.3.1

did jesuit priest pierre teilhard de chardin foresee the internet in 1959?

2.32 Theorists’ Jürgen Habermas, a German sociologist and philosopher, believes that this flaw in mass media is leading to the demise of the ‘public sphere’. For Habermas, democracy and other great social advances in western culture emerged from the 18th century coffee houses and salons where society were able to take part in the critical exchange of ideas. The problem with mass media, Habermas argues, is that it turns media into a consumable commodity rather than a forum where the critial debate of ideas can take place and as a result, it is turning a critical public into a passive public5.

Noam Chomsky, an American philosopher, linguist, and political activist, is of a similar opinion. Chomsky believes that the one-to-many relationship between mass media and society is a flaw that is being exploited by governments as they control the media to ‘hide fundamental truths’ from the public. As a result they have the ability to control the publics perception of current events; “Any dictator would admire the uniformity and

obedience of the U.S. media”6. However, this one-to-many relationship between mass media and consumers is being replaced, or at least supplemented by the Internet which facilitates many-to-many relationships.

In the early 20th century, Jesuit priest, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin spoke of the existence of “a living tissue of consciousness” that enveloped the Earth, which he termed the ‘noosphere’. The noosphere, Chardin described, was an invisible “sphere of thought”, a global network of trade, communication, exchange of knowledge and cooperative research where ideas met other ideas, resulting in an organized web of thought7.

More than half a century later, Chardin’s notion of an invisible noosphere materialized in the form of the Internet.

6 Borries, F (2007) Space, Time, Play: Computer Games, Architecture and Urbanism, Berlin: Birkhäuser. P.214 6 Chomshy, N (1992) Manufacturing Consent, online video, Available: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FKdU_ xL4O8&feature=fvw. Accessed 14.11.10 7 Chardin, T (1959) The Phenomenon of Man, New York: Harper & Row P.17

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2.4

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The Internet

The Internet has fundamentally changed how we communicate information today. It’s virtual world has become a place where we can watch television, read books, share ideas with others, find answers to practically any question imaginable. The possibilities are endless. The ease at which this vast availability of services can be accessed means that we no longer have to go somewhere specific, i.e. the library, the office, college, to get the information that we want:

“the introduction of campus wireless networks in the early 2000’s, combined with portable wireless devices and the growth in electronic distribution of educational material, quickly began to break down the rigid person-to-place connections that had hitherto characterized campus life; students did not need to be at fixed network drops or computer clusters to download or electronically interact, they did not have to go to the library to pick up texts, they no longer required desks or carrels to write, and they did not need to show up in person for videocast lectures”8.

The Internet also represents a major change in mass media as it allows for two-way communication. Unlike other media used to deliver information such as the television and newspapers, the Internet enables users to

interact with what exists while also allowing them to produce their own material. This ability to create content along with the wide reach of the Internet has given amateur, local, and niche cultures, which previously lived in the shadow of mass media, a greater voice with which to be heard. “Barriers for entry into the public sphere have been greatly reduced. It is now possible for an individual or group of individuals to put out a message that can be heard globally with relatively little expense”9.

What makes the Internet so effective as a communication medium is its ability to “negate geometry, allowing it to collapse distances and to eliminate spatial inequalities”10. As a result, physical distance no longer becomes an obstacle in terms of communication, essentially turning the world into a village.

As ICT provides us with a more efficient way of accessing information, the role of the public library is questionable. However I believe that by embracing ICT as an opportunity rather than a threat, the library can provide its users with an exciting immersive environment where physical and virtual information come together to create a new library experience.

9 Benkler, Y (2006) The Wealth of Networks, New Haven: Yale University Press P.215 As cited by: Varnelis, K. (2008), Networked Publics, Massachusetts: MIT Press P.156 8 Mitchell, W (2003) Me++: The Cyborg Self and the Networked

10 Mitchell, W. (1996) City of Bits: Space, Place, and the

City, Massachusetts: MIT Press. P.149

Infobahn, Massachusetts: MIT Press. P.8

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1934 first television broadcast

1979

First cellular phone communication network started in Japan.

1981 first home computer produced by IBM

1995 world wide web is born

2001

web 2.0 allows social networking and mass collaboration with the blurring of lines between content creator and user

mobile phones reach 3G technology

2004

2011

fig 2.4

timeline of the most recent advances in information and communication technology

? image: author

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“Virtual worlds should not be seen as an

alternative to the real world or a substitute, but as an extra dimension which allows us a new freedom of movement in the natural world.�

(Pearce, 1996, p.76)

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A Digital Society

image: flickr.com

a digital society

18

virtual communities

20

user generated content

21

importance of ICT

23

marginalization

24

the digital hub

25

3.0 17

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fig 3.0

today’s café scene is a superimposition of real and virtual worlds

3.0

A Digital Society

Advances in ICT have instrumented the shift from the industrial age to the information age of today. We now live in a society where the production, acquisition, and flow of knowledge drive the economy and in which global information networks represent key infrastructure11.

The increasing role of ICT in society has led me to believe that we now partake in ‘voluntary prosthesis’. Society has become so dependant on technology such as mobile phones and laptops, that being without them can, by some, be equated to losing a limb. These mobile devices act as electronic vessels for our virtual bodies, by providing us with a connection to our virtual existence in cyberspace. This amalgamation of the physical and virtual is leading to new forms of social interaction as “computercentered networks and technologies reshape social relations and constitute new social domains”12.

A classic example of this kind of social interaction is described by Kazys Varnelis13 in his book ‘Networked Publics’ where he begins with a description of a typical observation at a café. In earlier times, the café was seen as one of the birthplaces of the public sphere. A place where the cultured went to debate and exchange ideas, “For theorist Jurgen Habermas, when the public sphere emerged in the early eighteenth century, it did so in the context of the café, the learned society, and the salon”14.

“a superimposition of real and virtual worlds”

Physically we are somewhere while at the same time we are virtually everywhere.

While drinking his coffee Varnelis notices that in contrast to the 18th century example, today’s café scene is more of a superimposition of real and virtual worlds in the form

11 Hardt, M (2000) Empire, Massachusetts: Harvard

13 Kazys Varnelis is the Director of the Network

University Press. P.298

Architecture Lab at the Columbia University Graduate

12 Sassen,S; Latham, R (2005) Digital Formations:

School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation.

IT and new architectures in the global realm, New

14 Varnelis, K. (2008), Networked Publics,

Jersey: Princeton University Press P.1

Massachusetts: MIT Press. P.16

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of a collection of individuals who are in ‘another place’ via a network connection, mobile phone or wireless laptop, “A woman next to you is browsing the Internet with her laptop, a late-career executive is thumbing his Blackberry, two students are studying together, and some teenagers are hanging out listening to music on their iPhones. While one texts her friends, the other downloads music from the iTunes store. A thirty-something man is on his laptop working on a screenplay, while a few people are just reading books or the paper while a few people are just reading books or the paper”15.

15 ibid

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auditorium - workshops, expos, live music shows

genius bar provides technical support

studio bar provides users with ‘creative’ support for media projects

fig 3.1

3.1

apple store, london

product display area provides users with internet access

image: author

Apple Stores

Companies such as Apple have capitalized on societies yearn for Internet access, luring potential customers into its stores by allowing them to freely use their products for light Internet use etc. However, aside from the commercial aspect, Apple stores also aim to educate members of the public on how to use the latest software by providing free workshops.

These workshops have proven to be very popular, with potential customers having to pre-book places online for tutorials. Workshops take place instore in the presentation theatre, which is also used for general product demonstrations, user group meetings, live band nights and other events.

The Apple Store typology could easily be adapted to the program of modern libraries. By providing users with advanced computer workshops, libraries would appeal to a wider audience other than those seeking to learn basic IT skills.

The store also provides more intimate tutorials in its ‘Studio Bar’, an information helpdesk where Apple staff offer one-on-one ‘creative help’ for customers who are creating realworld projects using digital software.

For those who cannot avail of the Apple store experience first hand, Apple have also set up online communities where users from all over the world can ask experts any questions they might have.

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fig 3.2

‘map’ of online communities

3.2

Virtual Communities

Online discussion forums are an example of how ICT has evolved our notion of community from that of a group of people connected geographically, to include virtual communities where people are connected online through similar interests yet are not bound by space. Virtual communities resemble real life communities in the sense that they both provide support, information, friendship and acceptance between strangers.

Rather than being threatened by online communities, many towns, villages and small communities are using virtual communities to supplement their local presence. This allows community members, who may no longer live in the area, to remain connected with the news and events of their local football club or parish; “The ate dynamics of local communities can now extend to transnational interest networks. But unlike local communities, which are centered on place-based affiliation, contemporary networks support associations based on esoteric knowledge communities and niche cultural affiliations”16.

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Social networks are another form of virtual communities. Particularly aimed at young people, they allow social interaction through messaging and online chat. Each user has a profile containing photographs, personal information, interests, friends etc. These sites have become ‘virtual hangouts’, as a result of, Danah Boyd believes, a lack of real hangouts, “these sites provide intimate communities that fulfill a vital function for teens who have no real spaces in which to gather”17. Aside from enabling users to maintain existing realworld relationships, social networks also provide a platform for users to initiate virtual relationships through online socialization in the hope that it might lead to a face-to-face encounter in the future.

arts events, read more literature, go to more movies, watch more sports, and play more sports than non-users18.

William Mitchell believes that one of the reasons could be due to people feeling a greater need to meet ‘in the flesh’ so as to counteract the time they spend online19.

By providing social spaces where people can come together and hangout, the attraction with libraries will not necessarily be their content, but rather the opportunity they’ll provide for physical social interaction. As the world becomes increasingly digitalized, there will be a greater need for these kinds of spaces.

The participation in online activities such as social networking and discussion forums is said to result in users leading a more connected social lifestyle. A public participation survey carried out by Stanford University found that Internet users attend more 18 Frey, T. 2006. The Future of Library. Located at: 17 Boyd, D (2006) Identity Production in a Networked

http://www.futuristspeaker.com/2006/11/the-future-of-

Culture: Why Youth Heart MySpace, located at:

libraries/. Accessed 04.12.10

16 Varnelis, K. (2008), Networked Publics,

http://www.danah.org/papers/AAAS2006.html.

19 Mitchell, W. (1996) City of Bits: Space, Place, and

Massachusetts: MIT Press. P.46

Accessed: 20.10.2010

the Infobahn, Massachusetts: MIT Press. P.172

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User Generated Content

It is clear from analyzing the 100 most popular websites accessed in Ireland20, that we have embraced the creative freedom of the Internet to become a society that is keen to produce media as well as consume it. Among the top 30 websites listed are Facebook (social), Wikipedia (encyclopedia) MySpace (music), Youtube (video), Flickr (photography), Boards.ie (forum) and Wordpress (blog21). These websites primarily deal with user-generated content and their popularity further suggests that society is embracing the opportunity to create and share media.

“The ease at which user can now publish media has effectively lowered the threshold for producing, publishing, and distributing knowledge and culture”22.

As a result, information has become malleable and in a sense less sacred as the Internet encourages individual participation in accumulating, sharing and regulating the world’s knowledge.

This has led to the ‘wiki’ phenomenon; a “wiki” is a special kind of Web site that allows users to quickly add, remove, or edit content without timeconsuming approvals or administration “moderation” protocols.

With over 400 million visitors every month, (a third of all Internet users) the most popular ‘wiki’ is Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia containing over 150,000 articles that are built up and regulated through online collaboration23.

This collaboration is between people who most probably have never met, yet they strive to accumulate accurate information that is free for everybody to use. The result is an encyclopedia that is much better than any printed encyclopedia before it, as it is updated daily, has a larger coverage range, covers any subject matter including news and media events, and comes in the form of all of the worlds major languages.

At present, libraries mainly facilitate in the consumption of information.

As there is clearly a desire in society to produce media as well as consume it, the library should provide facilities where people can come together and produce content. This could be in the form of audio visual recording studios and computer labs where users could avail of the latest technology and support to produce media.

20 Alexa. (2010). Top sites in Ireland. Available: http:// www.alexa.com/topsites/countries;0/IE. Accessed 14.11.10.

21 a blog is a website in which an individual or group of users produces an ongoing narrative

23 Wales, J. (2010). FAQ. Available: http://

22 Varnelis, K. (2008), Networked Publics,

wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Frequently_Asked_

Massachusetts: MIT Press. P.43

Questions. Accessed 14.11.10.

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fig 3.3.1

the fun palace

3.3.1

The Fun Palace

Although never built, the Fun Palace by Cedric Price represents an interesting typology in terms of how the library could facilitate user-generated content.

The idea behind the Fun Palace was that it would provide users with a whole range of activities where learning was done through interaction and observation. “Learn how to handle tools, paint, babies, machinery, or just listen to your favourite tune. Dance, talk or be lifted up to where you can see how other people make things work. Sit out over space with a drink and tune in to what’s happening elsewhere in the city. Try starting a riot or beginning a painting – or just lie back and stare at the sky”24. It was to be a university of the street, a place that promoted creative leisure and the invention of one’s own work: place to create culture.

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elements – hanging theatres, activity spaces, cinema screens and speakers – were capable of being moved as they were composed of prefabricated modular units that could be quickly assembled and taken apart as needed25.

fig 3.3.2

renzo piano and richard rogers took great inspiration from the fun palace when designing the pompidou centre in paris

Designed as a flexible structure, the Fun Palace allowed users to adapt and shape their own environments to satisfy their own particular needs. The only fixed element within it was the structural grid of steel lattice columns and beams which contained all the services, stairs’ and lifts. All the other programmatic

24 Interactive Architecture (2005) Fun ���� Palace - Cedric Price. Available: http://www.

25 CCA. (2009) ������������������������������������� Cedric Price: Fun Palace. Available:

interactivearchitecture.org/fun-palace-cedric-price.

http://www.cca.qc.ca/en/collection/283-cedric-

html. Accessed 12.12.10.

price-fun-palace. Accessed 12.12.10

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3.4

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Importance of ICT

ICT plays an important role in today’s society, so much so that it’s significance has been likened to the impact the railroad system had on the Industrial Age as it facilitates in the spread of information and services across the globe (Van Dijk, 2006: 2)(Hardt, M, 2000: 298). Manuel Castells, a sociologist associated with information society and communications research, believes that networks have now become the basic units of society due to the prominent role they have in nearly every aspect of our lives26.

Despite the current economic climate, the ICT industry in Ireland continues to strive, representing 8% of total persons engaged in industry and services, “while the ICT sector accounted for 6% of the total number of enterprises and 8% of total persons engaged in industry and services, it contributed 24% of total turnover in the sectors”30. The ICT sector now accounts for more than one-third of all Irish exports leading to Ireland becoming one of the biggest exporters of software and hardware in the world31.

In Ireland, 71% of Irish households own a computer with 88% of theses availing of an Internet connection27. In the business sector, virtually all enterprises in Ireland use a computer in one form or another today: 98% of enterprises in manufacturing, 99% in construction and 98% in services28. “The majority use the Internet while 65% of all enterprises reported that they have a website or homepage” 29.

26 Castells, M. (2001) The Internet Galaxy, Oxford: University Press. P.248 27 Central Statistics Office (2008) Information Society and Telecommunications, Dublin: Stationary Office.

P.29

30 ibid

28 ibid

31 IBEC (2007) Ireland as Location, located at: .

29 ibid

Accessed: 23.11.10

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Wireless and DSL Broadband Coverage Wireless and DSL Broadband Coverage

² 0

12.5 25

Scale: 1:1,000,000

50

75

100 Kilometers

Legend Areas that are currently served by broadband service providers, as of June 30 2008 The remaining areas where no service is currently provided

areas with broadband areas without broadband

Project co-funded by the Irish Government and the European Union in association with the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

This indicative map has been developed having regard to the information available to the DCENR (based on information received from Service Providers) at the time of issue.

For additional information please see the supporting document on mapping.

fig 3.5

the lack of ICT infrastructure is one of the main reasons why many rural communities are experiencing the digital divide.

Maps Prepared Based on Information Available to DCENR and data from Ordnance Survey Ireland License No. EN0047207.

Data Compiled and Map Produced by ESRI Ireland 2008 Note: The data in this map is for reference only, urban and vegetation effects on signal have not been taken into consideration, transmission anomalies may also occur in certain areas and from transmission equipment.

August 22 2008

3.5 Marginalization While ICT provides huge benefits and job opportunities for those who possess the resources, education and skills to do so, the opposite is the case for less privileged members of society who do not. The gulf between those with regular access to digital technology and those without is termed the digital divide. For already less privileged communities, the digital divide becomes another obstacle in their attempt to become part of the information society, as they possess little or no access to the technological hardware required to become a digital citizen, “IT affects how we work and what we work toward, how we connect with each other and with whom we connect, and how we make decisions and with what information. Living on the wrong side of the digital divide, as do the persistent poor, means being cut off from these changes and disconnected from the information society”32.

‘digital hermit’, an outcast from cyberspace”33. This difference between the Internet-haves and have-nots is increasing existing forms of inequality and social exclusion. “The internet affects the way we access knowledge, self educate, work, play, connect, and live out our day-to-day lives. Communities on the wrong side of the digital divide are cut off from these advantages”34.

A scientific survey carried out by the Information Society Commission (ISC) has found that the digital divide in Ireland is widening with 74% of people in the higher professional classes showing an acceptable level of ICT proficiency compared with just 15% of people in the unskilled manual classes35. As ICT has become central to industry and employment to be computer literate in today’s digital age is paramount.

This exclusion from ICT has become a new form of marginalization: “no network connection at all makes you a 33 Mitchell, W. (1995) City of Bits: Space, Place, and the Infobahn. Massachusetts: MIT Press. P.18 34 Wilson, E.J. (2004) The Information Age and

Merely supplying disadvantaged societies with the hardware required isn’t the answer. These societies need to develop a culture of use which can only be achieved by educating them on the capabilities and possibilities of the Internet thus providing them with an awareness and understanding through participation and experience36.

“The difference between the Internethaves and have-nots can increase existing forms of inequality and social exclusion.”

Therefore, a technologically sophisticated information commons, accessible to all, must be provided in every community if the gulf between the information rich and information poor is to be narrowed. As architecture facilitated in bridging the literary divide through the advent of the library, it must continue to strive in order to bridge this digital divide.

Developing Countries, Massachusetts: MIT Press.

35 Kennedy, J; D’Arcy, D. (2003) Digital Divide Deepens. Available: http://www.siliconrepublic.com/ 32 Servon, L (2002) Bridging the Digital Divide,

strategy/item/2103-digital-divide-deepens/. Accessed

36 Mitchell, W. (1996) City of Bits: Space, Place, and

London: Wiley-Blackwell. P.2

4.11.10.

the Infobahn, Massachusetts: MIT Press. P.128

24

barry mckenna 10.11

fig 3.6

physically here virtually everywhere

digital depot

fig 3.6.1

spatial arrangement

media start-up spaces conference rooms informal meeting spaces café reception + manager

3.6

ancillary

The Digital Hub

The Digital Hub is a government initiative with the aim to create an international centre of excellence for knowledge, innovation and creativity focused around digital media enterprise.

I went to see the Digital Hub at the beginning of November where I was able to interview Melissa Meehan, a marketing executive from the Digital Hub development agency. Melissa explained how the aim of the Digital Hub is to promote the digital media sector in Ireland by providing a base for prestigious international digital media companies as well as local start-ups, “The digital hub is an international centre for digital media, enterprise, learning and research. Today over 100 companies, employing over 1000 people, deliver products and services to world markets from here”37.

The Digital Hub also provides digital media courses all year round in its “Elevate Learning” program where tutors provide tailored courses in an innovative learning environment. The program aims to tackle the issues

of low ICT literacy levels and low educational attainment rates within the southwest inner city. It also aims to upskill workers in digital media to increase awareness about jobs in the sector and to establish a ‘learning centre’ of excellence to support 21st Century learning for schools, community and enterprise. Courses are provided for adults and young people at both beginner and advanced levels; “the use of digital tools in education in the 21st century is vital. We have to educate our schools and local communities on how to use them effectively in their everyday lives. The kids of today are the digital generation” 38.

The Digital Hub’s business incubator, The Digital Depot (fig 3.6) provides digital media start-ups with a 3000 sqm high-tech enterprise centre comprising flexible space for over 20 companies, a café and conference rooms which can be rented out. In an age where the Internet can provide users with online collaboration, the

attraction with the Digital Depot is the opportunity to physically collaborate with other start-up enterprises through opportunities that occur through chance physical encounters at the communal café etc, “the amount of like minded businesses that are based here and an opportunity to network with them, as well as the fantastic facilities and central location make the hub a very attractive proposition for digital media companies” 39.

However, despite Ireland’s booming ICT industry, the Digital Hub is the only such initiative in the country. This has led to an overwhelming amount of applications for its Digital Depot, most of which have had to be turned away due to the lack of space available40.

If the library is to promote ICT, it should provide spaces akin to those in the Digital Depot. This would encourage a variety of users, thus creating an environment where beginners can learn from their more experienced peers.

39 ibid 37 Meehan, Melissa. Personal Interview. 10.11.10

38 ibid

40 ibid

25

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“The structures which have stood from ancient time

at the heart of social interaction, the physical blocks of stone from which the city was constructed, are being replaced by the ‘bits’ of digital data which are the building blocks of the virtual community”

(Pearce, 1996, p.7)

26

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A Changing Library

image: flickr.com

the public library

28

history

29

ICT as an opportunity

30

hybrids

32

flexibility

37

librarians

40

community hub

45

4.0 27

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The Public Library

ICT provides users with a virtual world that has become a fundamental part of everyday life. Therefore, the question we must now ask ourselves is how can architecture embody the physical and virtual realms of today’s digital society. Funnily enough, it has been the library, thought by many to be under threat by ICT, that has realized the co-existence of both. The public library came into being to provide free access to the latest in communication technology, the book, and I believe that its modus operandi today is no different. The only thing that has changed is the technology.

The following chapter illustrates how libraries are embracing ICT to become more than just a repository of information.

type of communication

method of communication

type of storage

method of reading

type of library

date

hieroglyphic

stone, clay or papyrus

vault

standing

private

500 - 1000 BC

alphabet

papyrus (rolls)

vault

standing or reclining

private or state

500 - 1400 AD

alphabet

animal parchment (decorated books)

room

standing or sitting

monastic

500 - 1200

cursive handwriting and numeracy

paper (books)

chapel above cloister

standing

monastic

1200 - 1500

printing press

paper (books)

library

standing in stall

university and civic

1500 - 1800

mass production printing

paper (books, journals, newspapers)

library

sitting with tables

civic and local public

1800 - 2000

electronic digital

electronic

computer disk

screen

all types and personal

1990 -

table source: edwards, b. (2009) libraries and learning resource centres, oxford: architectural printing press p.9

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fig 4.1

physically here virtually everywhere

monastic libraries began as simple armariums

fig 4.1.1

during the baroque period, libraries became grander and more magnificent

4.1 History For centuries libraries have existed as repositories of information, and are among the oldest known building types41. Forms of the library have been in existence as far back as 2,700 years ago when it is recorded that the Ptolemies’ library at Alexandria contained some 550,000 scrolls42. The fall of the Roman Empire in Ad 476 led to the demise of literacy which put an end to the need to erect library buildings in Europe for several centuries.

“places where knowledge is stored, preserved and passed on” The Middle Ages saw the reappearance of humble libraries in monasteries in the form of armariums (book cabinets).

As the volume of written work grew larger, scribes were afforded special

rooms where they created and stored material. The first known example of these appearing in the plan of St Gallen monastery around 820 - 83043. As these space began to evolve, they were fitted out with desks and seating known as carrels which were little niches used by the monks to read and write in44.

methods”46. This problem resulted in the library being divided into three primary zones; book storage, reading area, and administration. This remained the basis for library design up until very recently where advances in media technology are forcing the archetype to evolve again.

During the Baroque period, libraries became grander and more magnificent through decoration and ornamentation.

They were symbols of wealth and aristocracy. However, by 1792, the French Revolution and the demise of monasteries put an end to the age of magnificent, princely libraries45. The rise of printed medium also created a problem for the Baroque style as it was no longer “able to accommodate the growing number of books that were the outcome of improved production

While the layout of libraries has changed many times throughout history, their role has remained the same: to provide places where knowledge is stored, preserved and passed on.

43 Schittich, C (2005) Detail : Review of Architecture, Munich: Verlag und Redaktion P.148 41 Schittich, C (2005) Detail : Review of Architecture,

44 Pevsner, N (1979) A History of Building Types, New

Munich: Verlag und Redaktion P.148

Jersey: Bollingen P.92

42 Pevsner, N (1979) A History of Building Types, New

45 Schittich, C (2005) Detail : Review of Architecture,

Jersey: Bollingen P.91

Munich: Verlag und Redaktion P.149

46 ibid

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4.2

physically here virtually everywhere

ICT as an Opportunity

However, the days of the library as the ultimate source of knowledge are gone, as ICT has made information more and more accessible. This has led some critics to believe that the library’s days are numbered. Ross Dawson, a recognized leading futurist and entrepreneur, predicts that the increasing role of the Internet in today’s society will lead to the library’s extinction by 201947.

Dawson’s prediction, drastic as it is, is based on the library’s bias towards the book which has blinded it to other emerging forms of media. Rem Koolhaas of OMA believes that in order for the library to justify its existence in today’s digital society, it must acknowledge all forms of media technology:

“Unless the Library transforms itself wholeheartedly into an information storehouse (aggressively orchestrating the coexistence of all available technologies to collect, condense, distribute, ‘read’ and manipulate information), its unquestioned loyalty to the book will undermine the Library’s plausibility at the moment of its potential apotheosis”48.

47 Dawson, R. (2007). Extinction Timeline. Available:

What the critics have failed to predict, however, is the library’s ability to reinvent itself. Much like plants that thrive on good soil, water and sunshine, libraries are beginning to prosper in our information-rich environment. The rise of ICT, thought by some to threaten the library, has given it a new lease of life. They have become more open and interactive; a digital market place where readers become navigators of electronic systems. In 2007, the Comhairle Leabharlanna conducted a national survey where they found that 70.3% of all library users used a computer during their visit. Of these, 51.9% used the Internet, 35.1% used email, and 20% used the printing facilities49.

each other. This communication hybrid is developing new forms of socialization, new life styles, and new forms of social organization”50.

The choice facing us today is not between the ancient and the modern, the book and the computer, the physical and the virtual; it is about how to create a balance that has the best of everything. By embracing all forms of media, the library can better provide for the needs of today’s digital society.

“we are now in the presence of a new notion of space, where physical and virtual influence each other” As libraries embrace new forms of technology, a new communication hybrid is developing. One that brings together physical place and virtual place, “we are now in the presence of a new notion of space, where physical and virtual influence

http://www.rossdawsonblog.com/weblog/ archives/2007/10/extinction_time.html. Accessed 20 April 2010.

50 Cardoso, G (1998) Para una sociologia do

48 OMA. (1999). Seattle Public Library Proposal.

49 An Comhairle Leabharlanna (2007) National

ciberespaco, Portugal: Celta Editora. As cited by

Available: http://www.spl.org/lfa/central/oma/

Survey. Available: http://www.librarycouncil.ie/

Castells, M (2001) The Internet Galaxy, Oxford:

OMAbook1299/page6.htm. Accessed 05.11.10.

publications/index.shtml . Accessed: 05.10.10

University Press. P.131

30

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E-BOOK

E-BOOK

WORLD WIDE WEB

WWW

DATABASE

BOOKS

1150

fig 4.2

1200

1250

MAGAZINES NEWSPAPERS

DATABASE

8 TRACK FILMSTRIP LP RECORD PHOTOCOPY AUDIO CASSETTE CINEMA

8 TRACK

COMIC BOOK

COMIC BOOK

FILMSTRIP LP RECORD PHOTOCOPY AUDIO CASSETTE CINEMA MAGAZINES NEWSPAPERS BOOKS

MAPS

1300

MAPS

PHOTOGRAPHY

1350

1400

1450

1500

1550

1600

1650

1700

1750

1800

1850

PHOTOGRAPHY

YELLOW PAGES

YELLOW PAGES

DOCUMENTARY PAPERBACK VIDEO

DOCUMENTARY

1900

PAPERBACK VIDEO

MICROCHIP

MICROCHIP

FLOPPY DISK CD ROM

FLOPPY DISK

1950

CD ROM

2000

the library must acknowledge the existence of all forms of media and present them equally

31

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4.3 Hybrids The Source Arts Centre in Thurles is an example of how libraries are becoming hybrids as they embrace ICT as well as other forms of media, to provide a new kind of library experience.

Designed by McCullough Mulvin, the centre illustrates how branch libraries have become more than just a repository of books as the scheme incorporates a library, community centre, exhibition space and a theatre in one building. I went to visit the centre in early October where I was also able to interview Anne-Marie Brophy, one of the librarians, to see what effect the new centre was having on the local community.

fig 4.3

source arts centre

Anne-Marie informed me that the new centre was very popular with locals of all ages, “we usually get an older clientele during the weekday mornings and mid afternoon. Then in the evenings we tend to get a lot of students who use the library as a place to study. Sometimes groups of students come during school hours to do research for projects etc. You always get the few regulars as well who just drop in to check their email or go on the Internet for a few minutes. I think the fact that you can see right into the library as you walk past encourages people to pop more often. It’s handy”51.

I asked Anne-Marie if she thought people’s needs are different today compared to ten years ago, “Yes and no. Obviously having computer and the Internet is a big change from years ago and a lot of people do come here specifically to use them but then you always have people coming here specifically for books as well. I suppose that’s one thing that hasn’t changed. As well, with the community space upstairs we can accommodate things like yoga, drama classes and exhibitions which have proven to be very popular” 52.

N

fig 4.3.1

the source arts centre is situated in a prominent location in thurles

fig 4.3.2

lounge area

The diversity of the brief has allowed the Source Arts Centre to break free from the typical branchlibrary stereotype. The inclusion of a state of the art theatre as well as a large community space allows the centre to further meet the needs of its community while it’s prominent location in the town makes it easily accessible, allowing it to contribute greatly to the social life of the town.

51 Brophy, Anne-Marie. Personal Interview. 04.10.10 52 ibid

32

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vis

ua

l li

nk

wi

th

to wn

library exhibition space theatre bar / cafĂŠ

N

fig 4.3.3

the library has a good visual link with the town, however the location of the entrance could be better

33

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childrens young adult computers / reading vertical circulation reception adult computers lounge reading area

vis

ua

l li

nk

wi

th

to wn

exhibition space

N

theatre

fig 4.3.4

34

library layout

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fig. 4.3.6 adult computer zone

fig. 4.3.5 reading area

fig. 4.3.8 children zone

fig. 4.3.7 young adult computers

35

barry mckenna 10.11

4.3.1

physically here virtually everywhere

fig 4.3.2

voids help to visually connect spaces

fig 4.3.3

lounge area

Amsterdam Public Library

The Amsterdam Public Library (2007) designed

by Jo Coenen is another example of libraries providing a hybrid of uses. The library is the biggest in Europe with a floor area of 39,000m2 which includes 2 cafés, 3 restaurants, a theatre, conference rooms and 9,000m2 of office space resulting in the library attracting a wide range of users. The library also contains 500 computers and free newspapers from all over the world in its lounge area.

top

middle

The plan is organised around a large central atrium that allows light to enter deep into the plan. The atrium also creates visual links between the various levels thus allowing users to orientate themselves in the building.

In section, the library is broken up into 4 zones.

The entrance level, termed the ‘plinth’ acts as a ‘living room’, as it contains light reading in the form of newspapers, magazines, and Internet access points etc.

The next level contains the multimedia section, and provides a buffer space between the busy plinth level and the quieter reading level in the “middle”. The theatre, café and restaurants are located on the top floor, so as to benefit from the view across the harbour.

36

multimedia plinth

fig 4.3.4

the library is broken up into 4 sections

barry mckenna 10.11

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4.4 Flexibility The Sendai Mediatheque (2000) moves a step further away from the notion of a traditional library with an amalgamation of four different programs. Designed by Toyo Ito – renowned for his light and transparent architecture – the Mediatheque aspires to integrate the “primitive body of natural flow and the virtual body of electronic flow”53.

As technology advances at an increasingly rapid rate, it is important that libraries can adjust to these advances so as not to become obsolete. Ito addresses this issue in the Sendai Mediatheque, by creating a building that has the flexibility to adapt to any future changes in technology. This flexibility is due to the building being primarily made up of three fixed elements; ‘plates’ (floors), ‘tubes’ (columns) and ‘skin’ (envelope); everything else is flexible. Ito describes it as “a domino house for the information age”54.

fig 4.4.1

the building’s structure allows it to adapt to any changes in program

Not only do the tubes provide structure, they also contain the vertical circulation and services.

Spaces are partitioned using moveable screens or just simple curtains. As a result the building has a sense of openness and transparency as spaces flow into one another.

53 Ferré, A (2003) Sendai Mediatheque, Barcelona: Actar P.3 54 Ito, T (2006) The Sendai Media Center, online video, Available: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s48eEBc6WOk&feature=relat ed. Accessed 09.11.10

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store

café

delivery entrance

structure

shop vertical circulation

entrance fig 4.4.2

public / private

ground floor plan

The complex includes an art gallery, a library, an information service centre for people with visual and hearing impairments, cinema, and a media centre. Ito describes the result of this amalgamation of media types as being a ‘media convenience store’ where the once established form of museums and libraries is demolished;

“Enjoying paintings and books through electronic media will surely demolish the once established form of archetypal museums and libraries. They will all be fused into one and there will be no boundaries between a museum, an art gallery, a library or a theater . They must be reconstructed as a mediatheque. It will be a convenience store of media where a variety of media are arranged in arrays; a convenience store of culture which offers different cultural functions” 55 – Toyo Ito The ground floor, a 7m high space accessible from all sides, is for general traffic; a meeting place in the city. It is designed as a public place as it contains a reception, café and bookshop.

The transparency between inside and out allows users to feel part of the streetscape. On warm summer days, the façade can be peeled back to further blur the boundary between interior and exterior.

55 Designboom (2009) image of architecture in electronic age. Available: http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/ ito_statement.html. Accessed 09.11.10

38

fig 4.4.3

the public space on the ground floor

fig 4.4.4 the media centre

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7 1 public space

2 childrens library

6

3 adult computers

4 main lending library 5 exhibition space

5

6 exhibition space 7 media centre

4 3 2

1

fig 4.4.5

each floor has a different ceiling height so as to create spatial differentiation

Ito designed the Sendai Mediatheque on the principle that architecture must now deal with the existence of the human body on two levels: the primitive body that a human being has always possessed and the virtual body that has come into being with the advent of the Internet;

“This virtual body of electron flow is drastically changing the mode of communication in family and community, while the primitive body in which water and air flow still craves for beautiful light and wind. The biggest challenge for us is how we can integrate these two types of body.”56.

The success of the Sendai Mediatheque is in its flexibility which allows the building to respond to any new future development in technology, preventing it from becoming obsolete. The high level of transparency between inside and out encourages users into the building as passers by become aware and attracted to the activities within.

fig 4.4.6 the structure also contains the vertical circulation

56 Designboom (2009) image of architecture in electronic age. Available: http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/ ito_statement.html. Accessed 09.11.10

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4.5 Librarians As the library is evolving, so too is the role of librarians as they become ‘knowledge navigators’, rather than just cataloguers and organizers of information. People will be attracted to the library for the expertise of librarians in the same way that people go to gyms to avail of the expertise of trainers on how to use the specialized equipment. In the Print Age, publishers regulated knowledge by deciding what was worthwhile. Once a document was printed by a reputable publisher it was deemed to be worthy of preserving. However the opposite is the case in the digital arena; “The orderly world of the creation, editing, publishing, selection, and preservation of books has been replaced by a vast, global town square with millions of people shouting over each other’s voices”57. It will be the role of librarians therefore to make sense of this cacophony of voices; helping patrons to find their way on the information superhighway.

OMA have recognized librarians new role in the design of The Seattle Central Library by providing a what they call a “Mixing Chamber”.

This is “an area of maximum librarian-patron interaction, a trading floor for information orchestrated to fulfill an essential need for expert interdisciplinary help”58. The architects describe the area as being where the physical and virtual exist in parallel as users are provided with an abundance of information sources, in both electronic and printed form. The mixing chamber allows patrons to ask a team of librarians for help with general questions or indepth research. The architects envisaged the space as being like a stock-market trading floor; a place that is bustling with activity.

The Seattle Central Library is another instance of how libraries are beginning to reinvent themselves as a civic institution no longer dedicated to just the book;

“Our ambition is to redefine the library as an institution no longer exclusively dedicated to the book, but rather as an information store where all potent forms of media – new and old – are presented equally and legibly. In an age in which information can be accessed anywhere, it is the simultaneity of media and (more importantly) the curatorship of its contents that will make the library vital”59 – OMA

57 Gorman, M. (2003). The Enduring Library, Chicago: American Library Association. P.113 58 El Croquis (2007) 134/135 OMA Rem Koolhaas, Madrid: El Croquis. P. 96 59 Kubo, M (2005) Office for Metropolitan Architecture: Seattle Public Library, Barcelona: Actar. P.11

40

fig 4.5.1

seattle central library

fig 4.5.2

mixing chamber

barry mckenna 10.11

fig 4.5.3

physically here virtually everywhere

on receiving the brief the architects grouped like with like (above). the library literally took the form of the brief (below)

The library is organized into zones, with each zone accommodating a specific use. The architects achieved this by consolidating the libraries main components; grouping like with like. The result was the identification of a set of programmatic clusters which they termed ‘stable’ and ‘unstable’.

The less flexible, more rigid components of the library, such as book storage, staff spaces, parking etc, are contained in the five ‘stable’ elements. As there was no rigid framework to which the floors had to conform to, each element is designed to the size appropriate to the program it contains.

This allows a flexibility to exist within each section, but not at the expense of other programs.

This is in contrast to the generic spaces of the traditional library where each space blends into one another. The problem with this configuration is that, as the space requirements of a particular program increase, it begins to encroach into the space of other programs.

41

barry mckenna 10.11

Organized vertically in five individual platforms the five ‘stable’ elements are then separated by four ‘unstable’ more flexible zones. These zones encourage interaction between the different programs; functioning as places for work, interaction, and play. The architects have allowed the arrangement of these elements to dictate what the building should look like, rather than imposing a structure at the beginning and then making the functions conform to that.

physically here virtually everywhere

fig 4.5.4

conventional library model. rigid framework doesn’t allow flexibility

fig 4.5.5

by separating the library’s program, the architects have created social spaces

framework to which the floors had to conform to, each element is designed to

where dialogue takes place between the different zones. as there was no rigid the size appropriate to the program it contains.

Similarly to the Sendai Mediatheque, the ground floor of the Seattle Library is designed as a public space for the community, containing exhibition spaces, a coffee shop, play areas for children, dens for young people and an information point for the main library.

The Seattle Central Library illustrates how the library as an archetype is evolving from a storehouse of paper to a public gathering place; a living room in the city. By organization the program into stable and unstable elements, the architects have created spaces akin to that of a traditional library (stable zones) while also creating new spaces (unstable zone) that encourage patron, librarian interaction further strengthening the concept of the library as being a social public space.

42

fig 4.5.6

the spatial arrangement creates visual links between the different zones of the library. the introverted spaces allow for a more concentrated experience where as the outward looking flexible spaces provide users with views out to the city.

barry mckenna 10.11

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fig 4.5.7 mixing chamber

fig 4.5.8

lounge

fig 4.5.9 children’s library

fig 4.5.10 facade

fig 4.5.11

reading room

43

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fig 4.5.12 exploded plan

44

physically here virtually everywhere

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4.6

physically here virtually everywhere

Community Hubs

Libraries have become important hubs in their communities as they expanding their services to include multimedia areas and computer training facilities.

The Peckham Library (1999) designed by Will Alsop, is an example of how libraries can promote the regeneration of a local community by providing services aimed at promoting computer literacy in under privileged areas. The library is located in the London Borough of Southwark, a dilapidated lower-middle class area of London.

Funding for the library came from the EU in an attempt to regenerate the local area. After winning the competition to design the library, Alsop set up a series of workshops where he consulted with the different groups that would be using the building to discover what kind of library they wanted60. As a result the library has become deeply ingrained in the local community.

fig 4.6

the library’s overhang creates a large, covered open area for the public

The library takes the form of an inverted L shape with the horizontal block of the main lending library raised 12m above the ground.

At ground level, a new public space is created below the overhang of the building which, in the summertime, accommodates open-air events.

Inside, a double height ground floor level contains a reception area and an interview space for community advice. The four floors above contain a bookshop, a computer training centre, multimedia area, staff offices and a childrens library.

60  AlsopArch. (2010) Peckham Library, located: http://www. alsoparchitects.com/. accessed: 10.12.10.

6

1 reception

2 computer training

4

5

3 meeting rooms

4 childrens library 5 lending library 6 study area

7 external public space

3

2

7 1

fig 4.6.1

section through peckham library

45

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Architects of the twenty-first century will still

shape, arrange, and connect spaces (both real

and virtual) to satisfy human needs. They will still care about the qualities of visual and ambient environments. They will still seek commodity,

firmness, and delight. But commodity will be as

much a matter of software functions and interface design as it is of floor plans and construction

materials. Firmness will entail not only the physical integrity of structural systems, but also the logical

integrity of computer systems. And delight? Delight will have unimagined new dimensions.

(Mitchell, 1996, p.105)

46

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conclusion

We live in an age where Information and Communication Technologies play an extremely important role in society.

ICT provides us with the ability to learn; communicate; shop, publish, socialize etc at the click of a button. As a result, everyday life has become a superimposition of real and virtual worlds, leading to new forms of social interaction.

We can now be physically somewhere while at the same time, via a mobile Internet connection, we can be virtually somewhere else.

Yet from these advances come new forms of marginalization as deep divides exist between those who possess the resources, education, and skills to reap the benefits of ICT and those who do not. This digital divide has put already less privileged members of society at an even greater disadvantage as their lack of ICT literacy excludes them from the benefits of this virtual world and often reduces their chances of employment.

This has prompted the library to evolve and embrace ICT; providing the less privileged with basic computer classes to upskill and re-educate, thus helping to reduce the digital divide just as it did the literary divide. As a result, libraries are experiencing a revival as they embrace all forms of media and digital technology to better provide for the needs of today’s society. By incorporating a variety of uses, libraries are becoming centres of knowledge as they bring education, leisure and culture together in a single building.

Despite these advances, libraries still mainly facilitate in the consumption of knowledge. As my research suggests, ICT has unearthed a desire in society to produce media as well as consume it. Therefore, in order to fully provide for the needs of today’s digital citizen, libraries must provide its users with the ability to generate content as well as consume it. This could be achieved by providing users with facilities such as recording studios, music rooms and computer labs where users are granted access to a level of technology that would exceed the financial reach of most people. This could be supplemented by providing advanced computer workshops on the latest software so as to provide an educational opportunity for those seeking to become involved in Ireland’s digital media sector. I believe that these advances would attract a diversity of users to the library, resulting in an environment where beginners have the opportunity to learn from their more experienced peers.

This will see the library develop into a social commons, a living room in the city, where people gather to discuss, debate and create information as well as hangout and relax with friends over coffee, just as they did in the ancient Greek agora and 18th century coffee house respectively. As socializing occurs more and more on the Internet, there will be a greater demand for free public spaces where people can come together so as counterbalance the time they spend online. By providing spaces for social encounter as well as the latest in media technology, the library can further embody the physical and virtual bodies of today’s digital society.

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Brief

image: flickr.com

brief development

50

aspirations

50

spatial diagram

52

schedule of areas

54

6.0 49

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mixing chamber

image: oma.eu

Brief Development My design proposal seeks to create an amalgamation of what I consider to be the most appropriate parts of the studied precedents: combining public library, Apple Store, Fun Palace and Digital Hub in the form of a ‘MediaHub’. In order to advance the library typology, it must be rebranded as the name ‘library’ is synonymous with the book.

Therefore I believe that the name MediaHub better represents what the institute is all about: a place for all media; a hub for the community.

I developed the brief for the MediaHub by basing it on the Source Arts Centre in Thurles as a benchmark. The Source Arts Centre serves a population of 6852 with a floor area of 3656m2 (not including parking). I felt that this was appropriate as the chosen site (next chapter) has a population of 6386.

data: source arts centre

50

Aspirations I then studied the precedents mentioned in my research, analyzing their program in terms of percentage floor area in order to compare them accurately. This allowed me to get general floor areas for the brief.

My vision for the project seeks not only to redefine the library as a MediaHub, but to look at its identity as an institution within modern society and imagine a proposal for the future. I define the MediaHub as a social and intellectual commons where information is discussed, shared, and created through the use of all media technologies.

At the heart of the MediaHub is the Mixing Chamber, an information bar, where all forms of technology come together, providing patrons with the ultimate information resource. The area contains computer stations for light browsing, a lounge area to read newspapers and magazines, computer labs providing advanced I.T users with the latest technology, and a reference area for those wishing to search the MediaHub for specific information.

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The Culture section of the MediaHub contains an auditorium akin to that typical of the Apple stores. It will be used for large workshops, amateur film, software demonstrations and live band nights. The popularity of websites dealing with user generated content suggest a desire in society to produce media as well as consume it, hence the MediaHub will provide audio and visual studios, as well as music rooms to further promote its ethos as a place to create culture through all forms of media.

By embracing and promoting the latest in Information and Communication Technology, the MediaHub will provide for the needs of today’s digital society as well as those currently experiencing the digital divide. It will provide users with the skills and understanding needed to live in this today’s digital age, and to work in the digital media sector.

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Despite the current economic climate, Ireland remains a hotbed for digital media companies. The ICT sector alone accounts for a third of all Irish exports61. In order to further promote ICT as a prosperous industry, the MediaHub will provide access to digital media technology and support for local initiatives in the form of business incubator spaces for digital media start-ups.

As mobile phones now provide us with the ability to access a web of knowledge, the attraction with the MediaHub will not necessarily be its content, but rather the opportunity for physical social interaction; something technology will never be able to provide.

The MediaHub will offer the local community a dynamic public centre; a meeting place where people of all ages take part in a wide range of activities. A place where library, culture, leisure and education blend together to create a spectacular architectural experience that will become a destination.

The project aims to promote regeneration through greater social cohesion and a stronger sense of community, civic pride and local identity, thereby helping to further attract people to the local community.

“The more technology distances us the more important human and social contact becomes” 62.

62 Naisbitt, J (1988) Megatrends, New York: Grand Central Publishing 61 IBEC (2007) Ireland as Location, located at: http://www.plasticsireland.ie/Sectors/ICT/ ICTDoclib4.nsf/vLookupHTML/Key_Industry_ Statistics?OpenDocument. Accessed: 23.11.10

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Spatial Diagram

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

photocopying 10 sqm

communal conference 20 sqm

communal conference 20 sqm

café 100 sqm

ent

e

1

reception 20 sqm

digital hub staff

reference head librarian 25 sqm

staff 50 sqm

staff changing 60 sqm

IT support 25 sqm

meeting rooms 25 sqm

plant and servers 100 sqm

teenager’s library 100 sqm

meeting rooms 25 sqm

help desk 10 sqm

equipment store 100 sqm

study area 100 sqm

local studies 50 sqm

adult fiction 200 sqm

livi

children’s library 50 sqm

adult non-fiction 200 sqm

comput 75 sq

book binding 25 sqm

delivery 40 sqm

ancillary

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public facilities

photocopying 10 sqm

entrance area

communal conference 20 sqm

communal conference 20 sqm

cafĂŠ 120 sqm

concierge 10 sqm

bookshop 50 sqm

entrance lobby 150 sqm

techshop 50 sqm

reception 10 sqm

reception 20 sqm

toilets 30 sqm

returns counter 10 sqm

mixing chamber 120 sqm auditorium 200 sqm teenager’s library 100 sqm

exhibition space 100 sqm

living room / newspapers 120 sqm

music rehearsal room 80 sqm

media library 150 sqm

internet area 150 sqm

fiction m computer lab 75 sqm

computer lab 75 sqm

mixing chamber

general office 30 sqm

media production studio 50 sqm

media production studio 50 sqm

culture

image: author

53

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Schedule of Areas music rehersal room

entrance area entrance area

media production studios x 2

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80

area areasqm sqm 100

entrance lobby / orientation

150

exhibition space reception returns counter concierge / security general office

100 10 10 10 30

subtotal subtotal

180 660

public facilities area sqm mixing chamber chamber //living livingroom room area sqm sqm café mixing chamber

120 120

bookshop

50

tech shop area entrance living room / newspapers toilets lobby / orientation entrance internet area subtotal reception computer labs x 2 returns counter culture / security concierge subtotal auditorium subtotal media library

public facilities facilities

area50 sqm 100 60 150 150 280 10 150 10 area10sqm

use of instruments

independent area

sound proof

activity activity

relationship relationship

notes

hireable walls for up and coming artists

can be encorporated into circulation

can form part of circulation

activity activity activity

relationship relationship relationship

notes notes

space for librarian patron interaction. for general queries or in-depth research. computers for book search

visual link with main located juststreet before space and reference sections.

the heart of the library

activity comfortable lounge area. magazines, newspapers etc acts as flexible multipurpose zone

relationship needs to be visible from street to encourage use

professional studio space for hire at minimal costs. acts as flexible multipurpose zone

provides advanced computer hardware + software activity

adjacent to music room

adjacent to café

150

CDs, DVDs, music books,

media activitypods activity

relationship relationship

notes

120

visual link with main space and street

bookshop

50

adjacent to café

tech shop

50

toilets

60

subtotal

280

area sqm area sqm sqm

organizes all spaces

used to provide specialised computer classes for high notes tech software etc

café

culture reference reference

notes

relationship

520 200 180

area sqm sqm

provides hi-tech equipment for peopleall wishing organizes spacesto produce media

activity activity activity

relationship relationship relationship

shelving and seating for fiction and literature CDs, DVDs, music books, media pods shelving and seating for nonfiction collection

adjacent to main desk

notes notes

auditorium adult fiction

200 200

media library

150

adult non-fiction

200

children's library

50

flexible space for storytelling, toys, childrens computers

adjacent to adult library

security important fun area

teenager's library

100

music, games, dvds, work desks and media pods

independent zone

hangout lounge

local studies

50

study spaces

independent area

helpdesk

20

meeting rooms x 2

50

for general public use

study area

100

quiet study space

subtotal

770

independent zone away from activity

activity

relationship

administration

area sqm

head librarian

25

staff

50

54

adjacent to main desk

notes

tech shop

50

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60

subtotal

280

culture

area sqm sqm

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activity activity

relationship relationship

notes

CDs, DVDs, music books, media pods use of instruments

independent area

sound proof provides hi-tech equipment for people wishing to produce media

auditorium

200

media library

150

music rehersal room

80

media production studios x 2

100

professional studio space for hire at minimal costs.

adjacent to music room

exhibition space

100

toilets / shower / locker

50

hireable walls for up and coming artists

can be encorporated into circulation

can form part of circulation

activity

relationship

notes

shelving and seating for fiction and literature activity activity activity shelving and seating for nonp p space librarian patron fictionfor collection for the incubator spaces interaction. for general queries or in-depth research. flexible space for storytelling, computers for book search toys, childrens computers incubator space for digital media start-up businesses music, games, dvds, area. work comfortable lounge desks and media pods etc magazines, newspapers

adjacent to main desk

general office IT support reference subtotal subtotal adult fiction

30 25 area sqm 660 150 200

mixinghub chamber / living room area area sqm digital hub sqm sqm adult non-fiction mixing chamber reception / consierge

200 120 20

children's library

50

incubator spaces x 20

400

teenager's living roomlibrary / newspapers toilets / shower / locker communal photocopying facilities

100 50 10

IT support local studies internet area communal conference rooms x 2

25 50 150 40

subtotal computer labs x 2 café helpdesk

150 150 100 20

digital hub meeting rooms x 2 subtotal

area50sqm 520

reception study area/ consierge

20 100

subtotal subtotal incubator spaces x 20

570 770 400

ancillary administration administration

area sqm area sqm sqm

communal photocopying facilities equipment store head librarian communal conference rooms x 2

10 100 25 40

staff café

50 100

toilets / shower / locker

50

IT support

25

subtotal subtotal

150 570

digital hub ancillary

area sqm area sqm sqm

reception / consierge equipment store

20 100

book binding incubator spaces x 20

25 400

delivery area

40

communal photocopying facilities plant + servers

10 100

communal conference rooms x 2 subtotal

40 265

café

100

Total Program Program

3395

Circulation 10% Circulation ++ 10%

339.5

subtotal

570 3734.5

ancillary

area sqm

TOTAL AREA AREA

relationship relationship relationship

notes notes

located just before reference sections. adjacent to adult library

the heart of the library

adjacent to main desk

independent zone

independent zone from needs to be visible street to encourage use

study spaces

independent area adjacent to reception

provides advanced computer hardware + software acts as informal meeting activity space.

Encourages chance for general public use face-2-face encounters p p between individual businesses for thestudy incubator quiet space spaces

adjacent to reception and auditorium

incubator space for digital media start-up businesses activity activity activity

independent zone

relationship

security important fun area hangout lounge

used to provide specialised computer classes for high tech software etc notes

independent zone away from activity

relationship relationship relationship

notes notes

adjacent to reception

acts as informal meeting space. Encourages chance face-2-face encounters between individual businesses

adjacent to reception and auditorium

activity activity activity

relationship relationship relationship

incubator space for digital media start-up businesses

independent zone

p p for the incubator spaces

notes notes

adjacent to reception

acts as informal meeting space. Encourages chance face-2-face encounters between individual businesses

activity

adjacent to reception and auditorium

relationship

notes

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Site

image: flickr.com

the ideal site

58

the site

59

landmarks

60

historical maps

62

statistics

66

site visit

70

conclusion

73

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dublin figure and ground showing smithfield townland and site n.t.s

Smithfield Townland Area: 0.51 km2 Population: 6386 Population Density: 12554 people/km2 data source: central statistics office

diagram: author

The Ideal Site The ideal site must be located in an urban context and should be located on a major thoroughfare to cultivate a wide user base and to encourage curiosity and exploration.

The site should be located in an area lacking civic facilities, as the MediaHub will provide the local community with a centre point.

This is to encourage the gathering of diverse groups of people from the surrounding community.

As the MediaHub will provide the latest technology, it is important that the site is located in an area that has a relatively young demographic.

One of the aims of the MediaHub is to provide provisions for those experiencing the digital divide. Therefore the ideal site will be located in an area with a diversity of user groups.

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image: google maps

The Site I have chosen to examine Smithfield, Dublin as a potential site for the MediaHub due to its central location and the diverse demographic.

While some re-generation has occurred in the area over the past few years, Smithfield remains disassociated from the city centre.

I believe that the south of the square has the potential to instigate a connection with the city centre due to its proximity to the luas.

The area shows great activity with separate user groups such as residential, the law courts, and the market area; all of which can activate the MediaHub, thus promoting community life.

However, at present Smithfield poses a problem, as there is no real identity to the square. The area also lacks a tourist information office meaning that tourists going there miss out on the rich history that the area possesses.

The MediaHub has the opportunity to give Smithfield a modern identity as well as providing the area with a centre point for the local community.

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Landmarks

jameson distillery

collins barracks

richmond hospital

blackhall place

st michans church

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image: bing.com/maps

the four courts

images: author and flickr.com

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Historic Maps

de gomme’s map 1673

image source: mccullough, n (1989) Dublin: An Urban History p.64

Phillips’s Map 1685

phillips’ map 1685

62

image source: mccullough, n (1989) Dublin: An Urban History p.64

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brooking’s map 1728

image source: mccullough, n (1989) Dublin: An Urban History p.65

ordinance survey 1834 - 1842

image source: osi.ie

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king

st

nich

olas

av

bow

queen

st

st

king s t

friar

king

st

enue

nich

olas

av

y av enue

may ln

new c hurch

st

queen

st

queen

ys ta v

bow

friar

S M I T H F I E L D

st

queen

st

S M I T H F I E L D

king s t

st

ush

e

N

N

e r su s th e r

st

y

ush

64

1.2000

rch

y

u s hr s q u a y ers qua

smithfield today

chu

n qu ay

n qu a

chu

arra

arra

rch

st

st

bow st

new c hurch

bow st

may ln

diagram: author

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One of the major attractions to the site is its density of footfall and its connection with the luas.

images: author

There is also a massive problem with the site at present due to the historic erosion of the urban block to the south of the square. It currently acts as an open surface car park.

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600

500

400

300

200

100

0-4

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-24

25-29

30-34

35-39 40-44

45-49

50-54

55-59 60-64

The majority of the population are young, aged between 25 and 35 years old

data source: central statistics office diagram: author

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65-69

70+

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irish

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irish

british

british

polish

polish

lithuanian

other eu

lithuanian

rest of world

other eu

rest of world

The area also contains a growing foreign national community

data source: central statistics office diagram: author

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households with a personal computer

not specified

households without a personal computer

51% of the local population have access to a personal computer compared to the national average of 70%

data source: central statistics office diagram: author

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households with a personal computer

internet connection

not specified

not specified

households without a personal computer

no internet connection

48% of those with a computer have access to the internet compared to a national average of 62%

data source: central statistics office diagram: author

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Site Visit

the national library

At present there are 21 public libraries serving Dublin city.

Six of these are in the inner city. The nearest library to Smithfield is the Central Library located in the Ilac shopping centre; an 18 minute walk away.

I went to visit the library on the 20th of November to see what it offered.

image: flickr.com

2 1

6

5

3

4

1

central library, ilac centre

2 charleville mall library 3 library and archive, pearse st 4 ringsend library, fitzwilliam street 5 national library, kildare st 6 kevin street library

diagram: author

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Central Library, Ilac Centre

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Typology

Light

Atmosphere

Central library (in terms of location) but contains the programme of a small branch library. Also incorporates a language learning centre for foreign nationals and a large music section.

There is no direct natural light in the library. All lighting comes from halogen rooflights which create a poor learning atmosphere. There are some windows which open out towards the shopping centre, however they provide only secondary light at best.

The library was very busy - all the reading areas full and there were queues for the computers. This added to the already humid conditions.

The heavy use of air conditioning and artificial lighting created a poor reading environment.

The Central Library has no real presence in the shopping centre due to its lack of facade. To further add to the problem, the visibility of the entrance is blocked by the lift. As a result the library is very uninviting and unassuming.

Space

Statistics

The library is completely open plan with no hierarchy between the different zones. Spaces feel cramped and claustrophobic resulting in an uncomfortable learning environment.

Content

Sequence of spaces

The 2009 annual report compiled

by Dublin Public Libraries showed that the Central Library is by far the busiest library in the city centre with 487,650 visits in 2008 compared to the next highest of 128,550 in Pearse St Library.

Contains the main business lending section in Dublin and the main language learning area. Librarians say that it is under sized to deal with the demand. There is a meeting room in the centre of the library which is totally glazed, allowing visitors to see the goings on inside.

The layout of the library is poor. The children’s area is totally disconnected from the adult section making it unsafe, resulting in very little use. The language learning centre, computer room and music zone are all located in the same section of the library causing over crowding of the area.

Context / location

The Central library also had a higher number of book loans (268,204) and Internet sessions (73, 869 ) compared to the second highest of (52,480) and (17,723) in Pearse St Library. From this figures alone, there is clearly a need for another library service in the north inner-city.

Images showing the libraries poor presence due to the location of the lift.

images: author

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central library floor plan n.t.s

diagram: author

Findings The visit to the Central Library further justified my choice of site in Smithfield as the current library serving the area is over-crowded and under-resourced.

business library reference library help desks adult lending audio visual office

72

computer room language learning centre event room music library exhibition kids

In terms of altering the brief, the library staff informed me that the language-learning centre is in very high demand with foreign nationals. This is something that should be incorporated into the brief for the MediaHub due to the ethnic diversity in Smithfield.

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central library ilac centre

proposed MediaHub in smithfield

library and archive pearse street

digital hub thomas street

national library kildare street kevin street library diagram: author overlay on google maps

library location map

Conclusion The MediaHub will enhance Smithfield’s identity while addressing its lack of a community centre point and the belowaverage levels of computer literacy.

The MediaHub will also benefit the Central Library as it will help reduce the high demand it is currently experiencing.

The MediaHub will supplement the four other libraries located in the immediate city centre.

The location of the MediaHub in Smithfield is critical as it will provide for the north-west of the inner city.

The MediaHub will also tie in with the Digital Hub initiative in Thomas Street by providing the first of a number of mini-hubs located around the city.

The Digital Hub currently provides for the communities of the Liberties and Coombe. The development is encouraging regeneration of these areas by providing local residents with the opportunity to learn new skills in the digital media sector, furthering their chances of obtaining work.

By locating the MediaHub in Smithfield, it will encourage a similar regeneration of the local community to that of the Liberties and Coombe and will be the first step in creating a network of MediaHubs around Dublin and eventually Ireland. future network of MediaHubs around Ireland

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“May you have the hindsight to know where you’ve been, The foresight to know where you’re going,

And the insight to know when you’ve gone too far!”

(Old Irish Saying)

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Reflection ‘hind-site’

76

design process

78

final thoughts

83

presentation boards

84

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‘Hind-Site’ At the final review last semester, it was suggested by the critics that I consider changing my original site of Smithfield to a more central location within the city centre. They believed that my proposed ‘MediaHub’ would benefit from a more ‘exciting and challenging site’. While at first I was a little unconvinced, I took this advice on board and began to analysed potential sites around the North inner city. After much consideration and reflection of my thesis objectives I decided to locate my MediaHub in the Ilac Centre, on Moore Street.

As the new site is located in a busy shopping centre, and is adjacent to Henry Street, it exposes the MediaHub to a more diverse user type. The Ilac Centre experiences a high volume of footfall during retail hours, thus increasing the potential number of users.

fig. 8.1

moore street

fig. 8.2

how the ilac centre might look externalised

The area is also rich in culture primarily due to the ethnic diversity in the locale. The MediaHub would be an invaluable asset as the services currently provided by the Ilac Library are very limited and in great demand.

In addition to this, Moore Street has recently become home to number of multi-ethnic businesses, many of which are computer orientated. Both entities would benefit from being in close proximity to each other as this lends itself to integration, sharing of resources and up-skilling.

In my opinion locating the MediaHub on Moore Street, can promote the regeneration of an area that is becoming increasingly neglected. As Henry Street and Moore Street are primarily made up of retail outlets, the area becomes desolate and unfriendly at night-time. This situation is not helped by the Ilac Centre which becomes an impermeable block once it closes its doors in the evening. Therefore, one of the first decisions I made in terms of urban design was to externalise the Ilac, thus returning its internal routes back into the streets from which they came. I feel that this promotes the Parnell Street area and complements popular pedestrian routes between Temple Bar and Henry Street.

Finally, the MediaHub on Moore Street provides vital services for less privileged members of society, particularly those in the social housing developments on Dominic Street and surrounding areas. There is a risk of these communities being marginalised further as they lack the technological hardware required to become a digital citizen resulting in a digital divide. Through the MediaHub, this can be avoided. Without doubt the fundamentals of the Moore Street site make it an ideal location for this new and exciting proposal.

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proposed cultural quarter in parnell square

ilac shopping centre

temple bar

cultural

shopping centre

education

theatre

social housing

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Design Process Initially I found the design process challenging as I had formed an intangible ideal in my head that I was almost intimidated to sketch for fear of getting it wrong. It was the advice given by a lecturer to a student in a similar situation I inadvertently overhead that spurred me into action; “you have to crack the eggs to make an omelette!�62. So I did.

I began by assessing the site to see what influences it would have on the brief. The fact that it was located in a prime retail area as well as the historic significance of Moore Street, an area famous for its markets, were avenues I wanted to explore. I had always imagined the MediaHub as being a social and intellectual commons; a place where people went to meet and interact with other people. The idea of introducing a market element to the brief not only fitted in with this vision but brought with it its own dynamic.

I began to test the revised brief on the site through the use of models and sketching. I also applied the concept of a market element to the aforementioned precedents to explore what influence it might or might not have on their designs. I found this process particularly useful as it allowed me to visualise the potential relationships between spaces and how they might be organised.

A concept quickly began to develop around the idea of a permeable, flexible public space on the ground floor with the original brief of the MediaHub located above and below.

62 Simpson, K (2011) 5th Year Studio, WIT

78

A large central atrium would visually connect the spaces thus creating an awareness between users of the market to the activities above and visa versa. I also began to develop the concept of a book spiral: a ramp that facilitates in vertical circulation while also providing book storage. Although the idea of a book spiral began as a relatively small element it soon became the driving force behind the design.

As the design developed I had considered removing the book spiral altogether due to the initial problems I had in working within the minimum slope requirements etc. However when I was encouraged to explore the idea further, it soon became apparent that the book spiral had great potential. It has given me immense satisfaction to overcome the difficulties and challenges that the ramp concept posed initially. Thanks to this I have learned more about the design process, about believing in your ideas and about following them through from concept to design.

The use of a ramp provides a fluidity of movement. It breaks the horizontal barriers that floors create and encourages movement up through the diverse activities in the MediaHub. Further research has identified that a lack of opportunities to use technology is a major reason why people experience a digital divide63. By employing a ramp as the primary circulation in conjunction with a large central atrium, it creates a level of excitement, curiosity and heightened awareness by exposing users to a variety of media in a nonintimidating way.

63 Servon, L (2002) Bridging the Digital Divide, London: Wiley-Blackwell. P.69

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concept sketch

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fig. 8.4

80

section exploring the relationship between the internal and external public spaces.

physically here virtually everywhere

barry mckenna 10.11

physically here virtually everywhere

81

barry mckenna 10.11

fig. 8.5

82

early sketch exploring the concept of a market space at ground level

physically here virtually everywhere

barry mckenna 10.11

physically here virtually everywhere

fig. 8.6

final model

Final Thoughts The experience of writing a thesis and then applying that thesis to an architectural design has been a challenging but very rewarding one. Having a clear idea of what I imagined the MediaHub to be before embarking on the design process was a huge help as I returned to this aspiration many times during the design process for inspiration and to maintain focus.

Technology is something I am passionate about and to have the chance to combine this with architecture has been very fulfilling.

I feel that I have strengthened my ability to develop concepts from initial stages right through to the very end. This skill will be essential to me as an architect and one that I will undoubtedly strive to improve on in a professional capacity.

I’m pleased with the final outcome, not necessarily because of the result but because of the process I undertook to achieve the result. By keeping a sketchbook of my thoughts from the beginning of the design stage, I can clearly see how the early concepts developed into the final design. For me, this represents a much more successful outcome than designing something brilliant right at the end without having gone through proper concept development and exploration. It is this skill that I hope to develop further in my future career as an architect.

This thesis has been extremely beneficial as I feel that it has prepared me for the questions that architects in an information age will have to deal with. As society becomes increasingly dependent on technology in everyday life, architectures relationship with ICT will become evermore important. As an architect in a digital age, I can only imagine the exciting challenges that lie ahead.

83

barry mckenna 10.11

physically here virtually everywhere

barry mckenna 10.11

physically here virtually everywhere

barry mckenna 10.11

physically here virtually everywhere

barry mckenna 10.11

physically here virtually everywhere

barry mckenna 10.11

physically here virtually everywhere

barry mckenna 10.11

eet ll str

rne

pa

1

2

1

4

2 3

West Elevation

Section A-A

East Elevation

’s lane

cole

1:200

1:200

1:200

1 2

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

parnell street cole’s lane

parnell street moore street pixel plaza henry street

ore

mo

parnell street service yard pixel plaza henry street

et

stre E-BOOK

1

E-BOOK

WORLD WIDE WEB DATABASE

1150

4 The agora was the commercial, political, and social heart of the city and served as a meeting ground for various activities. It symbolized the public sphere; a place of chance encounters where people assembled to discuss all kinds of topics: business, politics, current events, or the nature of the universe and the divine.

1200

LP RECORD AUDIO CASSETTE CINEMA COMIC BOOK MAGAZINES

proposed cultural quarter in parnell square

BOOKS MAPS

PHOTOGRAPHY

1250

1300

1350

1400

1450

1500

1550

1600

1650

1700

1750

1800

1850

YELLOW PAGES

DOCUMENTARY PAPERBACK VIDEO

DOCUMENTARY

1900

eet ll str

PHOTOGRAPHY

YELLOW PAGES

ell street

street

PHOTOCOPY

NEWSPAPERS

MAPS

o’conn

henry

8 TRACK FILMSTRIP

COMIC BOOK

MAGAZINES NEWSPAPERS

BOOKS 3

2

WWW DATABASE

8 TRACK FILMSTRIP LP RECORD PHOTOCOPY AUDIO CASSETTE CINEMA

rne

future pedestrian route granted planning

pa

PAPERBACK VIDEO

MICROCHIP

MICROCHIP

FLOPPY DISK CD ROM

FLOPPY DISK

1950

ilac externalised

e

ilac externalised

rad

pa

lly

CD ROM

ahi

o’r

2000

The development of the printing press saw architecture’s role change from being a facilitator of communication to a container of physical information in the form the library. The library provided the public with free access to the latest technology, the book, thus facilitating in bridging the ‘literary divide’.

Advances in ICT. The Internet provides us with a virtual world that exists in parallel to our physical world. Electronic devices such as mobile phones and laptops act as electronic vessels for the virtual bodies with which we experience this virtual world.

As ICT now provides us with the opportunity to access a world of information from almost anywhere some may argue that the role of the public library has come into question.

ilac shopping centre

Wireless and DSL Broadband Coverage

0

12.5 25

wyly theatre - oma

Scale: 1:1,000,000

50

75

o’con

² 5

100 Kilometers

nell street

Legend Areas that are currently served by broadband service providers, as of June 30 2008 The remaining areas where no service is currently provided

areas with broadband areas without broadband

e lane moor

B-B

col e’s

6 pompidou centre - piano + rogers

ore mo

lane

richmond night market - vancouver

stre

temple bar

et

potential portal link

The library has been seen as the solution once again to bridge this divide by providing users with access to basic computer facilities. By embracing ICT as an opportunity rather than a threat, libraries are beginning to free themselves from an old design stereotype that saw them as being mainly repositories of knowledge. They are evolving into communication hybrids as they begin to incorporate theatres, cinemas and exhibition spaces among other things.

Project co-funded by the Irish Government and the European Union in association with the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

This indicative map has been developed having regard to the information available to the DCENR (based on information received from Service Providers) at the time of issue.

For additional information please see the supporting document on mapping.

ICT provides us with the ability to learn; communicate; shop, publish, socialize etc at the click of a button. As a result, everyday life has become a superimposition of real and virtual worlds, leading to new forms of social interaction. We can now be physically somewhere while at the same time, via a mobile Internet connection, we can be virtually somewhere else.

From the advances of ICT comes a new form of marginalization termed the digital divide. This difference between the Internet-haves and have-nots is increasing existing forms of inequality and social exclusion.

The lack of ICT infrastructure is one of the main reasons why many rural communities are experiencing the digital divide.

Maps Prepared Based on Information Available to DCENR and data from Ordnance Survey Ireland License No. EN0047207.

Data Compiled and Map Produced by ESRI Ireland 2008 Note: The data in this map is for reference only, urban and vegetation effects on signal have not been taken into consideration, transmission anomalies may also occur in certain areas and from transmission equipment.

August 22 2008

2

activated facades

auditorium - workshops, expos, live music shows

genius bar provides technical support

cultural

studio bar provides users with ‘creative’ support for media projects

My research suggests that ICT has unearthed a desire in society to produce media as well as consume it. Therefore, in order to fully provide for the needs of today’s digital citizen, libraries must provide its users with the ability to generate content as well as consume it. I believe that the Apple Store, Fun Palace and Digital Hub are interesting typologies that the library can learn from.

product display area provides users with internet access

incubator office space 20 sqm

y r liffe

rive

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

Apple stores provide computer workshops and tutorials on the latest software. The Fun Palace provided users with a whole range of activities where learning was done through interaction and observation. Designed as a flexible structure, the Fun Palace also allowed users to adapt and shape their own environments to satisfy their own particular needs. The Digital Hub promotes digital media by providing digital media courses as well as incubator spaces for business start-ups.

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

café 100 sqm

entrance area

communal conference 20 sqm

My design proposal seeks to create an amalgamation of what I consider to be the most appropriate parts of the studied precedents: combining public library, Apple Store, Fun Palace and Digital Hub in the form of a ‘MediaHub’. At the heart of the MediaHub is the Mixing Chamber, an information bar, where all forms of technology come together, providing patrons with the ultimate information resource. The area contains computer stations for light browsing, a lounge area to read newspapers and magazines, computer labs providing advanced I.T users with the latest technology, and a reference area for those wishing to search the MediaHub for specific information.

N

pixel plaza ilac centre spire gpo arnotts fishmarket - paddy glennon

1

physically here virtually everywhere

social housing

1

B-B

plaza del torico - fermín vázquez arquitectos

conference rooms informal meeting spaces café

moore street

reception + manager

moore street from parnell street

moore street

ancillary

café 120 sqm

bookshop 50 sqm

techshop 50 sqm

reception 10 sqm

reception 20 sqm

internal toilets 30 sqm

returns counter 10 sqm

henry

ilac internal

street

reference

staff 50 sqm

head librarian 25 sqm

staff changing 60 sqm

IT support 25 sqm

mixing chamber 120 sqm

meeting rooms 25 sqm

study area 100 sqm

local studies 50 sqm

living room / newspapers 120 sqm

children’s library 50 sqm

internet area 150 sqm

equipment store 100 sqm

plant and servers 100 sqm

book binding 25 sqm

delivery 40 sqm

exhibition space 100 sqm

auditorium 200 sqm teenager’s library 100 sqm

meeting rooms 25 sqm

help desk 10 sqm

adult fiction 200 sqm

music rehearsal room 80 sqm

media library 150 sqm

N

adult non-fiction 200 sqm computer lab 75 sqm

computer lab 75 sqm

general office 30 sqm

mixing chamber

media production studio 50 sqm

Site Plan

media production studio 50 sqm

1:500 site:

culture

existing ilac centre

moore street

ancillary

2

barry mckenna 10.11

theatre

concierge 10 sqm

entrance lobby 150 sqm

digital hub staff

Site Context 1 2 3 4 5 6

education

public facilities

photocopying 10 sqm

communal conference 20 sqm

1:1000

shopping centre

media start-up spaces

aerial

3

barry mckenna 10.11

physically here virtually everywhere

4

barry mckenna 10.11

physically here virtually everywhere

1 2

service core

pixel plaza 1916 houses

ramps

structure

5

barry mckenna 10.11

physically here virtually everywhere

barry mckenna 10.11

t

ell

rn

pa

ee str

1

1

2

South Elevation waterford institute of technology

|

department of architecture

|

final thesis presentation

|

barry mckenna

|

physically here, virtually everywhere

mediahub

Section B-B

1:200

1:200

1 2

1 2

cole’s lane moore street

cole’s lane moore street

8

“how can library design embody the physical and virtual bodies of today’s digital society”

7

physically here, virtually everywhere “how can library design embody the physical and virtual bodies of today’s digital society”

6

B-B

5

4

1

4 3

5

3

1

3

2

8

7

barry mckenna word count: 11,413

6

2

mo ore

B-B

5

5

B-B

2

9

B-B

1

1

4

ee str

4 1

1

t

7

1

1

1

6

1

4

1 3 7

10 3 2

2

6 12

Ground Floor 1:200

11

10

11 8

8

barry mckenna word count: 11,413

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

8 10

flexible market space newspapers and magazines mixing chamber print and binding shop delivery store internet café store kitchen pixel plaza

B-B

9

8

8

N

First Floor

1:200

B-B

N

9

fig. 8.7

84

10

presentation boards

11

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

staff lockers staff room admin store community space librarian node childrens adult reference music zone internet

11

Third Floor

Second Floor

1:200

Basement general store delivery store auditorium office kitchen plant juice bar cinema servers deep book storeage ‘genius bar’ product demonstration

12

9

9

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

8

9

10

10

1:200

1:200

B-B N

12

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

digital studio computer lab AV room lounge video studio recording studio music room librarian node internet ebooks adult reference film pods

B-B N

13

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

digital studio classroom presentation suite lounge computer lab classroom librarian node internet audio books adult reference teen library

B-B

barry mckenna 10.11

physically here virtually everywhere

Detail 02 physically here virtually everywhere

barry mckenna 10.11

physically here virtually everywhere

barry mckenna 10.11

physically here virtually everywhere

barry mckenna 10.11

physically here virtually everywhere

Detail

Detail

02

01

barry mckenna 10.11

physically here virtually everywhere

2

2

1

1

3

3

4 3

2

1

East Elevation 1:200 1 2 3 4

parnell street moore street pixel plaza henry street

5

future pedestrian route granted planning

4

e

rad

pa

lly

ahi

o’r

4

Detail 01 1:5

4

o’con

model

roof construction

nell street

50mm white limestone slab 20mm bed of mortar 80mm reinforced screed 15mm drainage mat 150mm rigid insulation 3-layer bitiminous membrane 350mm concrete slab suspended ceiling

skylight frame pressed metal coping aluminum gutter

4

Detail 01 1:5 1 2 3

roof construction 50mm white limestone slab 20mm bed of mortar 80mm reinforced screed 15mm drainage mat 150mm rigid insulation 3-layer bitiminous membrane 350mm concrete slab suspended ceiling

skylight frame pressed metal coping aluminum gutter

e lane moor

B-B

1 2 3

Detail 1

03

ore

mo stre et

potential portal link

Detail 1

internal

2

03

model

2 5

activated facades

4 2 wall construction 4 aluminum cladding 25mm cavity 70mm rigid insulation waterproof layer 225mm concrete wall

4

wall construction 4 aluminum cladding 25mm cavity 70mm rigid insulation waterproof layer 225mm concrete wall

3

blind

Detail

4

04

3 aluminum glazing

5

internal henry

street blind

Detail

4

04 aluminum glazing

5 5

Detail 02

N

4

1:5

service core

ramps

structure

facade

complete

moore street

5

physically here virtually everywhere

Detail 02

6

barry mckenna 10.11

physically here virtually everywhere

1 2 3 4 5

barry mckenna 10.11

1 2 3 4 5

4

7

1:5

pressed metal coping aluminum gutter decentralised hvac unit blind aluminum transom

physically here virtually everywhere

8

barry mckenna 10.11

physically here virtually everywhere

pressed metal coping aluminum gutter decentralised hvac unit blind aluminum transom

barry mckenna 10.11

physically here virtually everywhere

3

Typical Section 1:20

1 2

1 2 3 4 5

wall construction aluminum cladding 25mm cavity 70mm rigid insulation waterproof layer 225mm concrete wall

Typical Section 1:20

1

1

2

2

1

Section B-B

Section C-C

1:200

1:200

1 2

1 2

cole’s lane moore street

wall construction

1 2 3 4 5

2

aluminum cladding 25mm cavity 70mm rigid insulation waterproof layer 225mm concrete wall

cinema entrance air curtain decentralised hvac unit adult reference

1

cole’s lane moore street

3 1 2

3

2

Detail 03

wall construction

1:5

mortar coat (waterproof) peripheral insulation with drainage grooves bitumen concrete wall plaster

Detail 03

1 2 3

decentralised hvac unit aluminum transom blind

1:5 1 2 3

decentralised hvac unit aluminum transom blind

3 1

1

1

8

2

7

7 2

1

1

1

6

6

floor construction walnut flooring raised access floor screed 80mm separating layer insulation 150mm dpc concrete slab 350mm lean concrete 200mm

5 5

9

8

B-B

1

B-B

1

4

B-B

2

4 1

1

2

3 9

10 3

1

2

2

1

11 10

1

8

9

12

11

2

Third Floor

Fourth Floor

1:200

N

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

digital studio classroom presentation suite lounge computer lab classroom librarian node internet audio books adult reference teen library

1:200 1 2 3

B-B

2

hireable gallery space digital studio ‘an café litreacha’

B-B Detail 04 N

1:5

N

1 2

13

14

Detail 04 1:5 1 2

decentralised hvac unit external light

decentralised hvac unit external light

soffit construction suspended soffit: aluminium mesh on steel support 70mm rigid insulation waterproof layer 300mm concrete slab raised access floor construction walnut flooring

soffit construction suspended soffit: aluminium mesh on steel support 70mm rigid insulation waterproof layer 300mm concrete slab raised access floor construction walnut flooring

15

16

85

cinema entrance air curtain decentralised hvac unit adult reference

barry mckenna 10.11

physically here virtually everywhere

t

ell

rn

pa

ee str

1

West Elevation le’s

co

1:200 e

lan

1 2

parnell street cole’s lane

ore

mo ee str t

1

3

ell stre

o’conn

2

street

et

henry

4

The agora was the commercial, political, an various activities. It symbolized the public sp to discuss all kinds of topics: business, politic

5

6

ICT provides us with the ability to learn; com at the click of a button. As a result, everyday real and virtual worlds, leading to new forms physically somewhere while at the same time can be virtually somewhere else.

genius bar provides technical support

ffey

r li rive

Site Context 1:1000 1 2 3 4 5 6

86

pixel plaza ilac centre spire gpo arnotts fishmarket - paddy glennon

N

My design proposal seeks to create an amal appropriate parts of the studied precedents: co and Digital Hub in the form of a ‘MediaHub Chamber, an information bar, where all forms o with the ultimate information resource. The are a lounge area to read newspapers and magazin with the latest technology, and a reference area specific information.

barry mckenna 10.11

physically here virtually everywhere

2

1

1

West Elevation

S

1 2

1 2 3 4

1:200

1

parnell street cole’s lane

E-BOOK

E-BOOK

WORLD WIDE WEB

WWW

DATABASE

MAGAZINES NEWSPAPERS

BOOKS

1150

The agora was the commercial, political, and social heart of the city and served as a meeting ground for various activities. It symbolized the public sphere; a place of chance encounters where people assembled to discuss all kinds of topics: business, politics, current events, or the nature of the universe and the divine.

1200

DATABASE

8 TRACK FILMSTRIP LP RECORD PHOTOCOPY AUDIO CASSETTE CINEMA

8 TRACK

COMIC BOOK

COMIC BOOK

FILMSTRIP LP RECORD PHOTOCOPY AUDIO CASSETTE CINEMA MAGAZINES

proposed cultural quarter in parnell square

NEWSPAPERS BOOKS

MAPS

1250

1300

MAPS

PHOTOGRAPHY

1350

1400

1450

1500

1550

1600

1650

1700

1750

1800

1850

PHOTOGRAPHY

YELLOW PAGES

YELLOW PAGES

DOCUMENTARY PAPERBACK VIDEO

DOCUMENTARY

1900

PAPERBACK VIDEO

MICROCHIP

MICROCHIP

FLOPPY DISK CD ROM

FLOPPY DISK

1950

CD ROM

2000

The development of the printing press saw architecture’s role change from being a facilitator of communication to a container of physical information in the form the library. The library provided the public with free access to the latest technology, the book, thus facilitating in bridging the ‘literary divide’.

Advances in ICT. The Internet provides us with a virtual world that exists in parallel to our physical world. Electronic devices such as mobile phones and laptops act as electronic vessels for the virtual bodies with which we experience this virtual world.

As ICT now provides us with the opportunity to access a world of information from almost anywhere some may argue that the role of the public library has come into question.

ilac shopping centre

Wireless and DSL Broadband Coverage

² 0

12.5 25

Scale: 1:1,000,000

50

75

100 Kilometers

Legend Areas that are currently served by broadband service providers, as of June 30 2008 The remaining areas where no service is currently provided

areas with broadband areas without broadband

temple bar The library has been seen as the solution once again to bridge this divide by providing users with access to basic computer facilities. By embracing ICT as an opportunity rather than a threat, libraries are beginning to free themselves from an old design stereotype that saw them as being mainly repositories of knowledge. They are evolving into communication hybrids as they begin to incorporate theatres, cinemas and exhibition spaces among other things.

Project co-funded by the Irish Government and the European Union in association with the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

This indicative map has been developed having regard to the information available to the DCENR (based on information received from Service Providers) at the time of issue.

For additional information please see the supporting document on mapping.

ICT provides us with the ability to learn; communicate; shop, publish, socialize etc at the click of a button. As a result, everyday life has become a superimposition of real and virtual worlds, leading to new forms of social interaction. We can now be physically somewhere while at the same time, via a mobile Internet connection, we can be virtually somewhere else.

From the advances of ICT comes a new form of marginalization termed the digital divide. This difference between the Internet-haves and have-nots is increasing existing forms of inequality and social exclusion.

The lack of ICT infrastructure is one of the main reasons why many rural communities are experiencing the digital divide.

Maps Prepared Based on Information Available to DCENR and data from Ordnance Survey Ireland License No. EN0047207.

Data Compiled and Map Produced by ESRI Ireland 2008 Note: The data in this map is for reference only, urban and vegetation effects on signal have not been taken into consideration, transmission anomalies may also occur in certain areas and from transmission equipment.

August 22 2008

auditorium - workshops, expos, live music shows

genius bar provides technical support

studio bar provides users with ‘creative’ support for media projects

media start-up spaces

My research suggests that ICT has unearthed a desire in society to produce media as well as consume it. Therefore, in order to fully provide for the needs of today’s digital citizen, libraries must provide its users with the ability to generate content as well as consume it. I believe that the Apple Store, Fun Palace and Digital Hub are interesting typologies that the library can learn from.

product display area provides users with internet access

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

incubator office space 20 sqm

conference rooms informal meeting spaces café

moore street

reception + manager ancillary

public facilities

photocopying 10 sqm

entrance area

communal conference 20 sqm

communal conference 20 sqm

café 100 sqm

Apple stores provide computer workshops and tutorials on the latest software. The Fun Palace provided users with a whole range of activities where learning was done through interaction and observation. Designed as a flexible structure, the Fun Palace also allowed users to adapt and shape their own environments to satisfy their own particular needs. The Digital Hub promotes digital media by providing digital media courses as well as incubator spaces for business start-ups.

café 120 sqm

concierge 10 sqm

bookshop 50 sqm

entrance lobby 150 sqm

techshop 50 sqm

reception 10 sqm

reception 20 sqm

toilets 30 sqm

returns counter 10 sqm

ilac internal

digital hub staff

My design proposal seeks to create an amalgamation of what I consider to be the most appropriate parts of the studied precedents: combining public library, Apple Store, Fun Palace and Digital Hub in the form of a ‘MediaHub’. At the heart of the MediaHub is the Mixing Chamber, an information bar, where all forms of technology come together, providing patrons with the ultimate information resource. The area contains computer stations for light browsing, a lounge area to read newspapers and magazines, computer labs providing advanced I.T users with the latest technology, and a reference area for those wishing to search the MediaHub for specific information.

reference

staff 50 sqm

head librarian 25 sqm

staff changing 60 sqm

IT support 25 sqm

mixing chamber 120 sqm

meeting rooms 25 sqm

study area 100 sqm

auditorium 200 sqm teenager’s library 100 sqm

meeting rooms 25 sqm

help desk 10 sqm

local studies 50 sqm

children’s library 50 sqm

plant and servers 100 sqm

book binding 25 sqm

delivery 40 sqm

adult fiction 200 sqm

music rehearsal room 80 sqm

media library 150 sqm

internet area 150 sqm

equipment store 100 sqm

exhibition space 100 sqm

living room / newspapers 120 sqm

adult non-fiction 200 sqm computer lab 75 sqm

computer lab 75 sqm

mixing chamber

general office 30 sqm

media production studio 50 sqm

culture

media production studio 50 sqm

site:

existing ilac centre

moore street

ancillary

87

Electronic devices ce this virtual world. may argue that the

barry mckenna 10.11

physically here virtually everywhere

1

2 3

Section A-A 1:200 1 2 3 4

parnell street service yard pixel plaza henry street

proposed cultural quarter in parnell square

t

ell

rn

pa ilac externalised

ee str

ilac externalised

ilac shopping centre

wyly theatre - oma

le’s

co lan

pompidou centre - piano + rogers

e

richmond night market - vancouver

temple bar

cultural

shopping centre

education

theatre

social housing

plaza del torico - fermĂ­n vĂĄzquez arquitectos

es

moore street

moore street from parnell street

moore street

ilac internal

Site Plan 1:500 existing ilac centre

88

aerial

1 2

pixel plaza 1916 houses

barry mckenna 10.11

physically here virtually everywhere

4 3

t

ell

rn

pa

ee str

future pedestrian route granted planning

e

d ra

c externalised

ly

hil

ra

o’

pa

et

l stre

nnel

o’co

re la

moo ne

B-B

le’s

co lan

ore

mo

e

mpidou centre - piano + rogers

ee str

potential portal link

t 2

activated facades

B-B

1

internal et

y stre

henr

N

Site Plan 1:500 1 2

service core

pixel plaza 1916 houses

89

barry mckenna 10.11

physically here virtually everywhere

4 4

3 3

East Elevation East Elevation 1:200 1:200 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4

parnell street parnell street moore moore street pixel plaza pixel plaza henry street henry street

et et l stre l stre nnel nnel o’co o’co

internal internal

internal internal

service core service core

90

ramps ramps

structure structure

facade facade

complete complete

moore street moore street

barry mckenna 10.11

physically here virtually everywhere

Detail Detail 02 02

2 2

3 3

2 2

3 3

te e

1 1

1 1

model model

Detail 01 Detail 01 1:5

roof construction roof construction

1:5

50mm white limestone slab 50mm limestone 20mmwhite bed of mortar slab 20mm of mortar 80mmbed reinforced screed 80mm screed 15mmreinforced drainage mat 15mm drainage mat 150mm rigid insulation 150mm rigid insulation 3-layer bitiminous membrane 3-layer bitiminous 350mm concrete membrane slab 350mm concrete suspended ceilingslab suspended ceiling

1 skylight frame 12 skylight pressedframe metal coping 23 pressed metal coping aluminum gutter 3 aluminum gutter

1 1

internal internal

Detail Detail 03 03

model model

2 2

wall construction wall construction aluminum cladding aluminum cladding 25mm cavity 25mm 70mmcavity rigid insulation 70mm rigid insulation waterproof layer waterproof layer wall 225mm concrete 225mm concrete wall

3 3

blind blind

moore street moore street

Detail Detail 04 04

4 4

aluminum aluminum glazing glazing

5 5

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pressed metal coping pressed metal coping aluminum gutter aluminum gutter decentralised hvac unit decentralised hvac unit blind blind aluminum transom aluminum transom

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roof construction 50mm white limestone slab 20mm bed of mortar 80mm reinforced screed 15mm drainage mat 150mm rigid insulation 3-layer bitiminous membrane 350mm concrete slab suspended ceiling

skylight frame pressed metal coping aluminum gutter

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wall construction aluminum cladding 25mm cavity 70mm rigid insulation waterproof layer 225mm concrete wall

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Site Context 1:1000 1 2 3 4 5 6

My design proposal seeks to create an amal appropriate parts of the studied precedents: co and Digital Hub in the form of a ‘MediaHub Chamber, an information bar, where all forms o with the ultimate information resource. The are a lounge area to read newspapers and magazin with the latest technology, and a reference area specific information.

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pixel plaza ilac centre spire gpo arnotts fishmarket - paddy glennon

waterford institute of technology

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department of architecture

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final thesis presentation

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barry mckenna

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physically here, virtually everywhere

mediahub

“how can library design embody the physical and virtual bodies of today’s digital society”

physically here, virtually everywhere “how can library design embody the physical and virtual bodies of today’s digital society”

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ilac intern

digital hub staff

barry mckenna 10.11 My design proposal seeks to create an amalgamation of what I consider to be the most appropriate parts of the studied precedents: combining public library, Apple Store, Fun Palace and Digital Hub in the form of a ‘MediaHub’. At the heart of the MediaHub is the Mixing Chamber, an information bar, where all forms of technology come together, providing patrons with the ultimate information resource. The area contains computer stations for light browsing, a lounge area to read newspapers and magazines, computer labs providing advanced I.T users with the latest technology, and a reference area for those wishing to search the MediaHub for specific information.

reference

staff 50 sqm

head librarian 25 sqm

staff changing 60 sqm

IT support 25 sqm

help desk 10 sqm

study area 100 sqm

local studies 50 sqm

plant and servers 100 sqm

book binding 25 sqm

delivery 40 sqm

exhibition space 100 sqm

auditorium 200 sqm teenager’s library 100 sqm

living room / newspapers 120 sqm

children’s library 50 sqm

adult fiction 200 sqm

music rehearsal room 80 sqm

media library 150 sqm

internet area 150 sqm

equipment store 100 sqm

physically here virtually everywhere

mixing chamber 120 sqm

meeting rooms 25 sqm

meeting rooms 25 sqm

adult non-fiction 200 sqm computer lab 75 sqm

computer lab 75 sqm

general office 30 sqm

mixing chamber

media production studio 50 sqm

media production studio 50 sqm

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flexible market space newspapers and magazines mixing chamber print and binding shop delivery store internet café store kitchen pixel plaza

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Site Plan 1:500 aerial

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Site Plan 1:500 1 2

service core

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service core

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ramps

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soffit construction suspended soffit: aluminium mesh on steel support 70mm rigid insulation waterproof layer 300mm concrete slab raised access floor construction walnut flooring

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cinema entrance air curtain decentralised hvac unit adult reference

wall construction mortar coat (waterproof) peripheral insulation with drainage grooves bitumen concrete wall plaster

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floor construction walnut flooring raised access floor screed 80mm separating layer insulation 150mm dpc concrete slab 350mm lean concrete 200mm

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soffit construction suspended soffit: aluminium mesh on steel support 70mm rigid insulation waterproof layer 300mm concrete slab raised access floor construction walnut flooring

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bibliography Bellis, M. (2000).

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Borries, F (2007)

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Identity Production in a Networked Culture: Why Youth Heart MySpace Available: http://www.danah.org/papers/AAAS2006.html. Accessed: 20.10.10 Castells, M. (2001)

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Castells, M (2004)

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Chardin, T (1959)

The Phenomenon of Man New York: Harper & Row. Introduction Conway, H (1994)

Understanding Architecture London: Routledge.

Dawson, R. (2007)

Extinction Timeline Available: http://www.rossdawsonblog.com/weblog/archives/2007/10/ extinction_time.html. Accessed 20.04.10.

Eberhard, P. (2009)

Brain Landscape Oxford: University Press. Chapter 1, 2 Edwards, B. (2009)

Libraries and Learning Resource Centres Oxford: Architectural Printing Press El Croquis (2007)

134/135 OMA Rem Koolhaas Madrid: El Croquis FerrĂŠ, A (2003)

Sendai Mediatheque Barcelona: Actar Garofalakis, J; Digital Divide and Rural Communities as cited in Ferro, E (2010) Handbook of Research on Overcoming Digital Divides New York: Information Science Publishing Geyl, P (2009)

Cities, Citizens and Technologies London: Routledge P.115 103

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Gorman, M (2003)

The Enduring Library Chicago: American Library Association.

Habermas, J (1991)

The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere Massachusetts: MIT Press. Chapter 2 Hardt, M (2000)

Empire Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. Chapter 3 Hugo, V. (2004)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame New York: Penguin Books IBEC (2007)

Ireland as Location Available: http://www.plasticsireland.ie/Sectors/ICT/ICTDoclib4.nsf/ vLookupHTML/Key_Industry_Statistics?OpenDocument. Accessed: 23.11.10 Ito, T (2006)

The Sendai Media Center [online video] Available: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s48eEBc6WOk&feature=rel ated. Accessed 09.11.10 Jager, H. (1995)

The Future of Services in Rural Areas Leader Magazine 9, Summer 1995 Kennedy, J; D’Arcy, D. (2003)

Digital Divide Deepens Available: http://www.siliconrepublic.com/strategy/item/2103-digitaldivide-deepens/. Accessed 04.11.10.

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Kubo, M (2005)

Office for Metropolitan Architecture: Seattle Public Library Barcelona: Actar Mitchell, W (1996)

City of Bits: Space, Place, and the Infobahn Massachusetts: MIT Press.

Mitchell, W. (2000)

E-topia Massachusetts: MIT Press Mitchell, W (2003)

Me++: The Cyborg Self and the Networked City Massachusetts: MIT Press Pearce, M (1996)

Architects in Cyberspace London: Academy Press Pevsner, N (1979)

A History of Building Types New Jersey: Bollingen Redmond, K. Molz, P.D. (2001)

Civic Space/Cyberspace Massachusetts: MIT Press Servon, L (2002)

Bridging the Digital Divide London: Wiley-Blackwell Smith, S. (2010)

What is Mass Media?

Available: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-mass-media.htm. Accessed 07.11.10

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The Free Dictionary (2008)

Information Age Available: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/information+age. Accessed 26.04.10.

Turkle, S (1995)

Life on the Screen: Identity in the Age of the Internet New York: Simon and Schuster Van Dijk, J (2006)

The Network Society: Social Aspects of New Media London: Sage Publications Varnelis, K. (2008)

Networked Publics Massachusetts: MIT Press Weston, R (2004)

Plans, sections and elevations: key buildings of the twentieth century London: Laurence King Publishing Wilson, E.J. (2004)

The Information Age and Developing Countries Massachusetts: MIT Press

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illustrations 2.1 http://www.mitchellteachers.net/WorldHistory/AncientGreece/TouringAthensDuringtheGoldenAge.htm 2.2 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/71/Reading_Room_of_the_Boston_Public_Library.jpg 2.2.1 http://picasaweb.google.com/lilihall/DublinSchoolTripJune2008#5209621157902031650 2.3 http://www.flickr.com/photos/tonyshi/3098420969/ 2.3.1 http://veteransbreakfastclub.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/teilhard.jpg 2.4 author 3.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonathanpui/864873934/ 3.1 author 3.2 http://www.flickr.com/photos/16845815@N08/5058881509/ 3.3.1 http://www.metamute.org/en/In-the-Bowels-of-the-Fun-Palace 3.3.2 http://www.richardrogers.co.uk/render.aspx?siteID=1&navIDs=1,4,24,120&showImages=detail&i mageID=16&showParent=true 3.5 http://www.yourtechstuff.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2007/09/24/broad band_coverage_map_for_ireland.jpg 3.6 author 3.6.1 author 4.1

Pevsner, N (1979) A History of Building Types, New Jersey: Bollingen P.92

4.1.1

Schittich, C (2005) Detail : Review of Architecture, Munich: Verlag und Redaktion P.145

4.2 author 4.3 http://www.e-architect.co.uk/images/jpgs/ireland/source_thurles_mcculloughmulvin_281107_3.jpg 4.3.1 http://www.jocoenen.com/coenen_new/fl2/nl2/index.htm 4.3.2 http://www.jocoenen.com/coenen_new/fl2/nl2/index.htm 4.3.3 http://www.jocoenen.com/coenen_new/fl2/nl2/index.htm 4.3.4 author 4.4.1 http://www.smt.jp/en/smt/ 4.3.2 author 4.3.3 http://www.jocoenen.com/coenen_new/fl2/nl2/index.htm 4.3.4 http://www.smt.jp/en/smt/ 4.3.5 author

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4.3.6 http://www.smt.jp/en/smt/ 4.5.1 http://wenhb.wordpress.com/2009/02/11/seattle-central-library-rem-koolhaas/ 4.5.2 http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/view?q=%22mixing%20chamber%22&psc=G&filter=0#5158873683862869538 4.5.3 http://www.oma.eu/index.php?option=com_projects&view=portal&id=202&Itemid=10 4.5.4 author 4.5.5 author 4.5.6 author 4.5.7 http://www.flickr.com/photos/75905404@N00/367940842/ 4.5.8 http://www.flickr.com/photos/75905404@N00/367943842/ 4.5.9 http://www.flickr.com/photos/75905404@N00/364940842/ 4.5.10 http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/view?q=%22mixing%20chamber%22&psc=G&filter=1#5158873808416921202 4.5.11 http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfseesthings/5205020495/ 4.5.12 http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/art/news/local/seattlepubliclibrary/explodedview.jpg 4.6 http://www.mimoa.eu/images/827_l.jpg 4.6.1 author

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