FAULK CENTRAL LIBRARY
Statement of Significance for a DRAFT National Register Nomination
Written by
Hannah Lise Simonson
Course: National Register of Historic Places Documentation | Fall 2015 M.S. Historic Preservation | UTSOA | May 2017
Photo Credit | Hannah Simonson
NPS Form 10900-a
OMB No. 10240018
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
Name of Property
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Section number 8
County and State
Faulk Library Travis County, TX
Page 1
SUMMARY The John Henry Faulk Central Library was designed by prolific Austin-born and educated architects, Harold “Bubi” Jessen and Wolf Jessen. Construction on the Faulk Library was completed in 1979, making it the last significant public building to come out of the offices of the brothers’ firm, Jessen Associates, Inc. The Faulk Library was constructed adjacent to the old Austin Central Library (now the Austin History Center), which, at the time of its completion in 1933 was 36,000 square feet. At 110,000 square feet, the Faulk Library clearly represents the growth of population and government of Austin in the 1970s. The Faulk Library is nominated to the National Register at the local level of significance under Criterion A for its association with the increasing size of the state and local government in Austin in the 1970s, which had a dramatic effect on the built landscape of Austin. The Faulk Library is also nominated at the local level of significance under Criterion C as an example of the monumental geometric massing, clean lines, minimal decorative detailing and singular material facades associated with the New Formalist architecture of Austin in the 1970s. The New Formalist style buildings of this era were of a scale and monumentality that represented growing government and a desire to build up a great, civic-minded urban landscape. Jessen Associates, Inc. contributed a number of New Formalist structures to the Austin municipal landscape including the Faulk Library, Texas Supreme Court Building, and the Palmer Municipal Building. The Faulk Library is an excellent example of their ability to achieve monumentality from simple geometric forms, symmetry and a limited material palette in the later part of the mid-20th century during a historic period of growth and prosperity in Austin. __________________________________________________________________________________ Brief History of the Austin Public Library Buildings The 101 Block of Austin Texas - bounded by San Jacinto, W 8th St, Guadalupe and W 9th St - was originally zoned for Churches in Edwin Waller’s 1839 city plan for Austin. Three churches were located on the block until their relocation in 1913; after the tripling of the Austin population between 1880 to 1920, Mayor A.P. Woolridge persuaded the state legislature to rezone the block to accommodate a public library. However, a public library wasn’t established until 1925 through the efforts of the Austin chapter of the American Association of University Women, spearheaded by Grace Delano Clark. Without a building of their own, the newly established Austin Public Library rented a room at 819 Congress Avenue and moved in their 500 donated books on February 16, 1926. A wood-framed building of just 1,896 square feet was erected on the 101 Block at the corner of 9th Street and Guadalupe for $4,190 and was opened on December 23, 1926 as the first Austin Public Library building. The city quickly realized that this small building was inadequate for the needs of the Austin public; the citizens of East Austin were also concurrently petitioning for a library branch to serve their community. In 1928 a $150,000 bond was passed in order to build a larger, more permanent building to house the central Austin Public Library branch; the new building was constructed in 1933 on the same corner of the 101 Block at W 9th Street and Guadalupe. The original wood-framed building was moved to Angelina Street in East Austin as the first branch of the Austin Public Library which now has 20 branches; known only as the “Colored Branch” until 1947, when the branch was renamed the George Washington Carver Branch Library and covered in a brick veneer. After the opening of a larger building
NPS Form 10900-a
OMB No. 10240018
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
Name of Property
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Section number 8
County and State
Faulk Library Travis County, TX
Page 2
in 1980, the original building now houses the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center.1 The first permanent Austin Public Library was a 36,000 square foot Italian Renaissance revival building designed by local Austin architect and founder of the UT Austin School of Architecture, Hugo Franz Kuehne. Construction for the new building began in 1932 and was completed in 1933 for $145,000. The building now houses the Austin History Center and has been nominated to the National Register of Historic Places and designated a Texas Historic Landmark. Educated in the language of the BeauxArts, Kuehne designed the new Austin Public Library building in the Italian Renaissance style with a tripartite arcaded loggia and Cordova cream limestone. Kuehne contracted a number of local craftsman to complete the decorative detailing of the building, including Fortunat Wiegl for the wrought ironwork and Peter Mansbendel for the interior woodwork. Harold “Bubi” Jessen and Peter Alidi were responsible for the design and painting of the frescos on the arched ceiling of the loggia. In the 1950s, the courtyard of the building was infilled to provide additional storage space. In 1979, the new Austin Central Library was opened next door and the 46 year old building designed by Kuehne was closed for renovations and reopened as the Austin History Center in 1983; the renovation of the old building was funded by city Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) bonds, grants from the Economic Development Administration and contributions from other local organizations and individuals. 2 3 After a CIP bond was passed in 1972 to provide $6 million dollars for a new, larger central library building and a site was chosen in 1974 and approved in 1975; construction on the building began in 1976. Jessen Associates, founded by Bubi Jessen and Wolf Jessen, designed the new City of Austin Central Library building at 800 Guadalupe on Block 101 at the corner of W 8th Street and Guadalupe. Under the direction of project architect Fred Day, the building was completed in 1978 and opened to the public on April 11, 1979. John Henry Faulk, local writer and free speech advocate, was the keynote speaker at the dedication ceremony on August 26, 1979; speaking to a crowd of 250, Faulk called the library “a monument to your own worth.”4 In 1995, the Austin City Council renamed the Central Library the John Henry Faulk Central Library; the building is now commonly referred to as the Faulk Library or Faulk Central Library. Bond Proposition 6 was passed in 2006 to fund yet another new Central Library building on the Seaholm Substation site at 704 W. Cesar Chavez Street. In 2008, Lake/Flato Architects were hired to design the new building which is projected to open in 2016. The Austin History Center, also in need of additional space and upgrades, will take over the Faulk Library building for collections storage,
1
City of Austin. “Carver - History.” http://www.austintexas.gov/page/carver-history. Austin History Center Association. “History - How We Got Here, Where We’re Going.” http://austinhistory.net/history/ 3 Harwood, Buie. Decorating Texas: Decorative Painting in the Lone Star State from the 1850s to the 1950s. Fort Worth: Texas Christian University Press, 1993. 4 “Library oratory.” The Austin American Statesman (1973-1987). August 27, 1979. 2
NPS Form 10900-a
OMB No. 10240018
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
Name of Property
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Section number 8
County and State
Faulk Library Travis County, TX
Page 3
processing and a new reading room while continuing to use the current AHC building for public education and display space.5 Growth of Austin and Library Funding in the 1970s The city of Austin had seen a spike in growth in the early 20th century around the time of the initial founding of the Austin Public Library. In the 1960s and 1970s Austin experienced another boom which saw the expansion of the state and local governments, an increase in population and the geographic boundary, as well as an emerging high tech industry that would continue to grow in the 1980s and 1990s. The population of Austin grew at an average rate of 40 percent per decade between 1940 and 1990, reaching 341,507 in 1979 up from 53,120 in 1930 when the first permanent library building was constructed. In 1972 and 1973, around the time a new central library was being proposed, there was a 4.9% and 5.2% increase in population respectively.6 In the 1960s the number of students enrolled at University of Texas at Austin doubled to reach 39,000 in 1970. Between 1950 and 1970, the number of government employees in Travis county tripled to reach 47,300 resulting in the construction of a new complex of buildings just north of the Capitol. As the capitol of Texas and location of University of Texas at Austin, the realms of growth and expansion in the mid-century tended to be pronounced in the areas of government and education; although not directly associated with either the UT system or state government, as public educational institution the Austin Public Library was naturally affected by these trends. In the 1950s the Austin Chamber of Commerce began a campaign to widen their economic base by attracting the high tech sector in conjunction with newly expanding research programs at UT Austin. In 1966, IBM opened an office in Austin, soon to be joined by Texas Instruments in 1969 and Motorola in 1974.7 As the city of Austin grew, the need for a larger public library with modern facilities became apparent. In the 1970s, a public library would have been a focal point of civic pride and a requisite element of the built landscape in a nationally emerging city. By 1970 the current central library building had been remodeled in 1949, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1959, 1963 and 1965 to the point that it was decided that further expansion was no longer “functionally or esthetically” possible.8 As early as 1970, the Austin Public Library Commission asked City Council for $5 million dollars specifically for a 100,000 square foot new central library on a downtown site either on or near Congress Avenue.9 Although the need for the new central library was noted in the Austin Public Library’s adopted “Plan for Development, 1970-75,” the 5
Austin Public Library. “2015 Fact Sheet.” http://library.austintexas.gov/basic-page/fact-sheet. Austin History Center, Austin Public Library, Texas. 6 City of Austin. “City of Austin Population History: 1840 - 2015.” https://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Planning/Demographics/population_history_pub.pdf. 7 Humphrey, David C. “Austin, TX (Travis County),” Handbook of Texas Online. Uploaded on June 9, 2010. Modified on July 7, 2010. Published by the Texas State Historical Association. Accessed October 24, 2015. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hda03. 8 Fairchild, Don, S.W., “Library commission asks city for expansion funds.” The Austin Statesman (1921-1973), December 3, 1970. 9 Ibid.
NPS Form 10900-a
OMB No. 10240018
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
Name of Property
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Section number 8
County and State
Faulk Library Travis County, TX
Page 4
commission did not request an immediate bond issue. The Austin Statesman quoted the development plan which noted, “[c]itizens of Austin are readers and library users. In fact, Austinites read more library books per capita than the citizens of any other large Texas city.”10 On March 10, 1972 The Austin Statesman reported that “a $6.1 million plan to expand municipal library facilities” was met by “tumultuous standing ovation” by a crowd of 600.11 The Austin Public Library Commission also fully supported the plan from City Council which would dedicate $5 million to a new 100,000 square foot central library through the Capital Improvements Program in the next bond election.12 Public support was evidently in favor of the large budget for the new central library as the current facilities had become inadequate and the library budget had long been lower than necessary; voters were anticipated to show up in high numbers for the September 9, 1972 bond election and easily pass the CIP bond for the library construction.13 Although the 1972 bond passed with support from the public, the Austin Public Library Commission, and the Austin City Council when the global oil crisis peaked in 1973 the plans for the new library were deeply affected by inflation. The Austin Statesman reported on August 12, 1973 that “Between 1960 and 1970, Austin’s land area increased 47 per cent, the number of dwellings rose 52 per cent and the population jumped from 187,000 to 252,000. Inflation caused construction costs to rise sharply […]” in addition to the loss of $18 million in federal funding.14 In 1974, the library commission protested city council cut backs to the library budget as the library system continued to experience increasing visitation.15 The Austin American Statesman quoted director of Austin Public Library, David Earl Holt, on November 9, 1974 saying, “[m]ost cities have campaigns to try to get people to use the library. That’s not our problem here. We’ve gotten strong support from the city. I can't complain. Considering the financial squeeze, we’ve been really lucky.”16 In 1972, when the CIP bond for the new central library was passed it was known that construction would not begin until 1975; by 1975, when a site was approved, inflation had decreased the buying power of the original $5 million, forcing the library commission to request additional funds. In 1972, the commission had planned to construct a 100,000 square foot building, but by 1975 they weren’t sure if they could gather the funding for the four-story building. The Austin American Statesmen reported that 10
Ibid. BeSaw, Larry. “City backs library expansion project.” The Austin Statesman (1921-1973), March 10, 1972. 12 Shultz, Gary. “Library’s total plan supported.” The Austin Statesman (1921-1973), March 16, 1972. 13 “Central library.” The Austin Statesman (1921-1973), August 9, 1972; “Giant CIP issue goes to austin voters today.” The Austin Statesman (1921-1973), September 9, 1972. 14 BeSaw, Larry. “City growth, inflation, energy crisis considered.” The Austin Statesman (1921-1973), August 12, 1973. 15 Walker, Marsha. “Commissioners protest city's library cutback.” The Austin American Statesman (1973-1987), September 26, 1974. 16 Cox, Mike. “Austin libraries: Facing rapid growth problem.” The Austin American Statesman (19731987), November 8, 1974. 11
NPS Form 10900-a
OMB No. 10240018
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
Name of Property
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Section number 8
County and State
Faulk Library Travis County, TX
Page 5
project architect, Fred Day, would ask for bids with alternatives including a three-story building with the top floor shelled in.17 Holt argued that the plan to build a three-story building initially with the intention of adding a fourth floor further in the future was implausible given the additional costs as well as problematic logistics of trying to run a quite and welcoming library with a displaced staff in a construction zone. Although the planning commission had reservations about the funding for the fourstory building, city council moved the funding for the full four-story, 100,000 square foot building “back to the first year of the CIP, and thus within the $205 million bond package up for voter approval Dec. 6.”18 As Austin grew in population and geographic area in the 1970s, the need for a new library facility was very apparent by the vocal support of the population. The Austin City Council, Planning Commission and Public Library Commission were largely unified in their support for the large CIP bonds for the project even as there was some push and pull over smaller details of the funding as Austin struggled through inflation spurred by the energy crisis. The quality of the central public library was of the utmost concern to the municipal government and voters; this municipal service was highly utilized by the public and provided a monument of civic engagement in the center of a growing city. CRITERION A: Significance in Community Planning and Development Site of the Austin Central Library In 1913, the north half of Block 101 was re-zoned for the construction of the newly established Austin Public Library.19 Sometime between 1889 and 1890 two of the three original churches on Block 101 were relocated and the third was relocated prior to the 1913 rezoning. The south half of Block 101 contained four residential structures until sometime between 1935 and 1961 when the southwestern lot was paved for parking. In the early 1970s, the City of Austin purchased the entirety of the block, demolished the remaining three residential structures and paved the area to provided parking for the central library. After the proposal of a new $5 million, 100,000 square foot central library in 1970 and a successful CIP bond in 1972, the city conducted a study to determine the best site for the new library. It had already been established in 1970 that the Austin Public Library Commission preferred a location on or near Congress Avenue for its proximity to downtown and pedestrian accessibility.20 The Library Site Selection Committee published A Site For A Central Library in Austin June 13, 1973, which was a compilation of the findings of Clark Reactor and Associates, Nexus Research Foundation and the Austin Public Library Commission. The selection committee determined that “[t]he site for a public 17
“Library funds to be sought.” The Austin American Statesman (1973-1987), August 14, 1975. Cox, Mike. “Library.” The Austin American Statesman (1973-1987), November 27, 1975. 19 “Regular meeting of the City Council: Austin, Texas, Aug 14th 1913.” Austin History Center, Austin Public Library, Texas. 20 “Minutes of the City Council: City of Austin, Texas, Regular Meeting September 20, 1973.” Austin History Center, Austin Public Library, Texas. 18
NPS Form 10900-a
OMB No. 10240018
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
Name of Property
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Section number 8
County and State
Faulk Library Travis County, TX
Page 6
library building should be where the largest percentage of all the people to be served will have access to the library frequently in normal pursuit of their activities. The site should have heavy pedestrian traffic; be convenient to public transportation; and have conveniently available automobile parking in public, commercial, or library parking lots.”21 Although it was commonly accepted public and municipal knowledge that a new, larger central library was justified, the study meticulously details evidence for the need; based on the Austin Public Library Monthly Statistical Report, over 100,000 reference questions were asked in 1972 which was more than double the number of questions asked in 1962.22 The study also solicited advice from other regional public library directors and examined patterns of traffic flow around Austin, particularly in the downtown area, the percentage of the labor force employees in the Central Business District (C.B.D.), number of parking spaces in the C.B.D., and the rate of new construction of private offices in the C.B.D. Based on these findings, the study confirmed the logic of the early preference for a new central library in the heart of the C.B.D. The study presents three top site selections which share the committee’s desired characteristics, “The committee can state however that all three sites share the following characteristics: all front on major downtown thoroughfares; all are well situated for some in-house parking; all allow for “high rise” buildings; all would have a positive environmental impact; all are located reasonably near other off-street parking; and they all have been rated according to advantages and disadvantages which basically effect the overall benefit to the citizens of Austin. The sites vary in cost from an estimated $600,00 to $950,000 and range in area from 33,000 square feet to 38,000 square feet.”23 Although the Library Site Selection Committee allegedly examined 15 potential sites, these sites were not listed or evaluated in the published document and no mention is made of the parking lot south of the current central library, which would eventually be the chosen site.24 Based on the infographic in Appendix IV of the study, it is clear that Congress Avenue has about twice as much traffic as Guadalupe Street in the C.B.D; however, especially for a one-way street the traffic on Guadalupe is notably high and favorable for a central library site. Of the three top sites elucidated in the study, one site was on Congress Avenue and two on Brazos, all between W 6th St and W 9th St.25 The Library Site Selection Committee did not publish any further recommendations for a new site, but must have considered developing and extenuating circumstances after their initial three recommendations; Austin City Council voted 6-0 for the site on the southern half of Block 101 on May 23, 1974.26 The Austin American Statesman editorial “Historic Error” states that the council that chose 21
Clark Rector Associates. A Site for a Central Library in Austin. 1973. Ibid.,19. 23 Ibid., 15. 24 Dolce, Ann, “Central Library in Motion,” Austin Remembers…, Winter 2014, Austin History Center Association. http://austinhistory.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/winter_2014_newsletter1.pdf. 25 Clark Reactor Associates, “Three Recommendations for a New Central Library Site - Austin, Texas May 1973,” A Site for a Central Library in Austin. 1973. 26 “Historic error.” The Austin American Statesman (1973-1987), February 28, 1975. 22
NPS Form 10900-a
OMB No. 10240018
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
Name of Property
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Section number 8
County and State
Faulk Library Travis County, TX
Page 7
the new central library site “had the additional benefit of the option of a special committee consisting of the library director, an architect and a city building official,”27 suggesting that Fred Day and Jessen Associates, Inc. were already involved in the design process at this stage; their involvement is further evidenced by the sketches in A Site for a Central Library in Austin which bear a remarkable resemblance to the eventual design of the library. Although the site was chosen in May of 1974, there would be further planning and debates about the site throughout 1975 involving the Historic Landmark Commission and Planning Commission before the site would be affirmed through a zoning change. The Austin Public Library Commission, with the enthusiastic support of the Parks and Recreation Department and the Urban Transportation Department, petitioned the city council to close W 8th Street between San Antonio and Guadalupe to create a pedestrian greenbelt; however, due to public concern over the lack of parking, and related costs, at the new central library site and in the C.B.D. more generally, this plan never made it past planning stages.28 Based on the criteria set forth by the site selection committee and supporting research, it is clear that the 800 Guadalupe location met many of the same criteria as the other possible sites; the location is in a central downtown area, Guadalupe is highly trafficked by pedestrians and automobiles, and it is close to public transportation nodes. Concerns about the availability of parking and proximity to historic architectural resources such as the old library building and the Bremond Block made the choice somewhat contentious; however, the easy availability of the site - which was already owned by the city and cleared to accommodate surface level parking a few years previously - and the architects’ assurance that a respectful building mitigated concerns about this historic landscape lead to the eventual acceptance of the site.29 In Aril 1979, just months after the new Austin Central Library opened at 800 Guadalupe, visitation purportedly tripled, making average daily walk-in traffic 1,500 people.30 Design of the Building in Relation to the Bremond District and Historic Preservation In the midst of the process of securing funds for the new central library building, selecting and securing a site, the City of Austin announced in March 1974 that it would establish a Historic Landmarks Commission to oversee the implementation of the new Historic Zoning Ordinance.31 The Bremond Block became the first National Register District in Austin on April 3, 1970 after demolition threats in the early 1960s when Victorian Era architecture was not yet widely accepted as a historic resource worth 27
Ibid. “Green belt seen for new building.” The Austin American Statesman (1973-1987), August 1, 1974; “Library greenbelt backed.” The Austin American Statesman (1973-1987), May 29, 1975; Cunningham, Elizabeth F., “8th street plan.” The Austin American Statesman (1973-1987), November 11, 1975. 29 One site preferred by the Historic Landmarks Commission at W 6th St and Congress seems to have “almost become available,” but ultimately was not available. O’Connell, John. “Library site criticism brings special meeting.” The Austin American Statesman (1973-1987), February 28, 1957. 30 Smith, Michael B. “Central library patronage triples since move.” The Austin American Statesman, April 17, 1979. 31 O’Connell, John. “City to announce commission on historical landmark zoning.” The Austin American Statesman (1973-1987), March 26, 1974. 28
NPS Form 10900-a
OMB No. 10240018
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
Name of Property
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Section number 8
County and State
Faulk Library Travis County, TX
Page 8
preserving. Just across W. 8th Street from the Bremond Block is the site of the Faulk Library at 800 Guadalupe. The proximity of the new central library site to the first, and at that moment, only National Register Historic District in Austin was a source of contention for the newly formed Historic Landmarks Commission.32 On February 24, 1975 the city construction management department requested a zoning change on Block 101 to allow the new central library building to come within five feet of the property line, five feet closer than the current zoning had allowed for.33 This request prompted the Historic Landmark Commission to recommend a change of site for the library which they criticized for its size and appearance; one commissioner likened the new central library design to the University of Texas Academic Center, another New Formalist building designed by Jessen Associates, Inc.34 Perhaps the simple geometric massing and floating, cantilevered upper floors solicited this comparison; the buildings, however have rather distinctly different fenestration and detailing. The Jessen Associates, Inc. design for the new central library might be more closely compared to another of their University of Texas buildings, the UT Systems Administration Building, also known as Ashbel Smith Hall, which was completed in 1975. Although the original conception of the new central library, as expressed by A Site for a Central Library in Austin, was a high-rise building, the ultimate design by Jessen Associates, Inc. was more modest in height. Ashbel Smith Hall, at 10 stories, is an example of Jessen Associates’ ability to express New Formalism in a high rise structure; the building is a monochromatic, smooth white stone block resting on slender columns. The Faulk Library however, takes advantage of the horizontal rather than vertical plane; the widest extents of the building meets the edge of allowable building space on the lot, but the building still respects the site as the main floor is recessed 10 feet under the cantilevered top three floors. “We have designed a building which as a quite dignity … a building with the openness which will allow the patrons to enjoy the historic setting,” said project architect Fred Day.35 In February 1975, it was not yet decided whether the library would be 3 or 4 stories tall, although this was more a concern over funding since the Library Commission knew that the 4th floor was necessary in terms of square footage. The concerns coming from the Historic Landmarks Commission were that the building was too modern, too tall, and did not provide enough parking which would lead to congestion and cluttering of the Bremond Block and surrounding neighborhood. Parking was very much a concern of the Austin Public Library since it was their goal to be easily accessible to both pedestrian and automobile traffic, but the concerns of the Historic Landmarks Commission seemed to express a greater anxiety as the early 70s in Austin saw many historic, especially Victorian era, buildings razed in favor of surface parking lots. Jessen Associates made a conscious effort, before regulations like ADA 32
Hoffman, David. “Library Site - To the Editor.” The Austin American Statesman (1973-1987), March 7, 1975. 33 Hultman, Steve. “City library site draws opposition.” The Austin American Statesman (1973-1987), February 25, 1975. 34 Ibid. 35 O’Connell, John. “Library site criticism brings special meeting.” The Austin American Statesman (1973-1987), February 28, 1957.
NPS Form 10900-a
OMB No. 10240018
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
Name of Property
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Section number 8
County and State
Faulk Library Travis County, TX
Page 9
were a requirement, to provide universally accessible parking on-site, but the burden of most parking would be on street parking and nearby lots and garages.36 Jessen Associates and Day were able to address the concern about height by designing a horizontally massed building, rather than a high-rise; this was a conscious choice based on the site-specific concerns that a high-rise would tower over the old central library and Bremond Block. The Jessen Associates design for the central library would not extend much higher than the Bremond House, due to its location on lower topography and only 20 feet above the old library.37 Day commented on the design for the specific site saying, “we had to strike a compromise between that need [for space] and being a good neighbor,” noting that the cantilevered structure allowed for ten feet of set back on the ground floor for landscaping to help weave the building in to the surrounding fabric of the neighborhood.38 The issue of constructing a modern building next to Austin’s only historic district and a 42 year old Italian Renaissance-revival building speaks to a larger tension between preservation, development, changing architectural styles and tastes, and the progress of time that continues to be debated today. The Historic Landmarks Commission felt that Jessen Associate’s central library would “loom” over the Bremond District and ultimately change the character of the neighborhood. An editorial in The Austin American Statesman takes an opposing stance, arguing, “[w]ould the commission dictate the tastes of the city, the community, the private enterprises nearby? Why is a parking lot preferable to a welldesigned modern building with will serve the needs of the people? Why should a modern building look “historic?” To enable the commission to try to force neighboring owners to build ersatz “historic” looking banks? Yesterday’s modern is today’s historical treasure.”39 This editorial foreshadowed the moment that we are in now, where in two blocks we have 1870s and 1880s Queen Anne residential architecture, 1930s Italian Renaissance-revival and 1970s New Formalist civic architecture all contributing to the built environment of Guadalupe Street; all of these buildings can now be seen as significant to the development and planning of Austin’s downtown, civic landscape. The palimpsest of the built environment accurately reflects the changing aesthetics, trends, values and fortunes of the Austin population and government. Despite the concerns voiced by the Historical Landmarks Commission, on March 5, 1975 a committee of the planning commission approved the new zoning for the central library site that would allow construction to proceed; commercial zoning would allow Jessen Associates to move forward with their cantilevered design that maximized the horizontal space of the building.40
36
The Austin Public Library - 800 Guadalupe Street booklet prepared by the Austin Public Library Information Office. Austin History Center, Austin Public Library, Texas. (n.d. c.1979) 37 O’Connell, “Library site criticism brings special meeting.” 38 O’Connell, John. “Library gets zoning nod.” The Austin American Statesman (1973-1987). March 5, 1975. 39 “Historic error.” The Austin American Statesman (1973-1987). February 28, 1975. 40 O’Connell, “Library gets zoning nod.”
NPS Form 10900-a
OMB No. 10240018
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
Name of Property
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Section number 8
County and State
Faulk Library Travis County, TX
Page 10
A full 82-page set of drawings, dated January 23, 1976 were stamped as officially approved by the city on April 1 and by May construction of the building was underway.41 Although there is no record of the exact date that the project was completed, the Nov/Dec 1977 issue of Texas Architect reported that the building was nearing completion and Jessen Associates, Inc. records establish the completion of construction in 1978; due to budget constraints, the building was not opened to the public until April 11, 1979.42 Given the growth of Austin that had occurred during the almost ten year process - from initial proposal in 1970 to opening the doors to the public in 1979 - Holt believed that the two buildings would have inadequate space “in the next 30 years.”43 After many years of working with large institutional clients, Jessen Associates, Inc. was clearly adept at navigating the intertwined bureaucratic and design processes. The architects managed to negotiate concerns about parking, environmental impact, accessibility, scale in relation to surrounding built landscape, and compatibility with nearby historic fabric in a functional, formal and stylistically coherent building. Although, as Holt anticipated, the Austin population has outgrown the size of the Faulk Library, the building has proved to be adaptable to changing usage, technology and priorities over its 37 year life span. An Austin Central Library promotional brochure describes the Faulk library as, “[d]esigned to harmonize with its diverse surroundings, the building’s structure incorporates elements planned with a view toward conservation, convenience, and comfort.”44 In order to harmonize with the neighboring historic buildings as well as the growing and developing modern Central Business District, Jessen Associates, Inc. chose to use a minimal, dignified and modest New Formalist style. The exterior material is an off-white sand blasted architectural concrete softer in appearance than brutalist concrete, but more modest than marble - which was chosen to complement the Cordova limestone of the Austin History Center. The height of the building was considered in the planning as well; originally supposed to be a high rise building, upon selection of the particular site at 800 Guadalupe, the architects decided to maximize the horizontal planes of the site to avoid towering over the historic buildings nearby. While respectful of the historic context of the site, the building achieves a monumentality appropriate for a civic building of such extensive planning, large budget and the ambitions of a growing city. The interior was equipped with all the latest in library technology including a tele-lift system meant to mechanically transport books around the space. Technological advances, of course, come quickly and although the tele-lift system was quickly outdated, the flexible open plan was able to easily accommodate later modern technologies such as computers. 41
Jessen Associates, Inc. Records and Drawings (AR.2009.018). Austin History Center, Austin Public Library, Texas. 42 Jessen Associates, Inc. “LAMA/BES “Behind the Scenes” Preconference Library Building Dada Sheet.” June 12,1979. Records and Drawings (AR.2009.018). Austin History Center, Austin Public Library, Texas. 43 Kelley, Mike. “Budget cutbacks would end some library services.” The Austin American Statesman (1973-1987), September 16, 1976. 44 Austin Public Library. “The Austin Public Library - 800 Guadalupe Street.” Austin Public Library Information Office. Austin History Center, Austin Public Library, Texas. (n.d. c.1979)
NPS Form 10900-a
OMB No. 10240018
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
Name of Property
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Section number 8
County and State
Faulk Library Travis County, TX
Page 11
The Jessen Associates, Inc. design for the central library addressed conservation through material choice, passive lighting, and heating devices. The large glass windows are bronze insulating glass recessed five feet behind pre-cast architectural concrete spandrels and vertical fins; the spandrels and fins allow natural light to filter in to the building, but prevent harsh glare or damaging direct light. According to Texas Architect, engineering calculations on the energy consumption of the new central library indicate that it would use the same amount of energy as a building with only 25% of the exterior glass without sun screens.45 The architectural concrete spandrels and fins also absorb heat during the day and dissipate it at night, further contributing to the efficient passive heating and cooling of the building. The original design of the central library included planters in each window bay which would have additionally contributed to the passive cooling of the building, as well as bringing landscaping up to the visual level of the second, third and fourth floors; the planters are still in the window bays, but are currently unplanted. The hardscaping provides a liminal space using the same sand blasted architectural concrete material as the building, but in non-orthogonal forms breaking from the symmetry of the building form. These planters were designed to wrap around the building and line the parking lot between the new central library and Austin History Center in order to provide a cohesive sense of place. Although not as grandiose as some civic plazas, this semi-formal landscaping gives presence to the New Formals library building. In designing for convenience, the Site Selection Committee chose a location to Austin’s downtown core, just blocks from the Capital as well as major pedestrian thoroughfares and transportation routes. Jessen Associates designed the interior of the library to be visually and physically accessible by using an open plan with large windows and a floating main staircase; these elements give the interior a sense of openness and fluidity while functionally allowing for ease of movement and flexibility in arrangement of tables, book shelves, and other programmatic needs. The 110,633 square foot building could easily accommodate the 400,000 volumes, 600 seated visitors, and 1500 daily visitors expected in 1978.46 The open floor plan, combined with filtered natural light, additionally contributes to an inviting and comfortable space. Jessen Associates, Inc. specified primary color - red, blue, and green - Herman Miller Eames chairs to visually code different spaces and pop in contrast with the ivory architectural concrete of the interior columns. “The Central Library Building in downtown Austin houses five floors of information resources, readily accessible to the 1500 patrons it serves on an average day. Its Jessen Inc. design fully recognizes its context within a historic setting. An architectural concrete and glass exterior works in quiet harmony with the nearby Austin limestone Public Library (now the Austin History Center). The scale of the new Central Library respects the elegant dignity of neighboring Victorian homes in the Bremond Block and the North Evans Chateau (now the Austin Woman’s Club) to the southwest. These structures date from the 1870s and 1880s. The Central Library Building was completed in 1978. Inside its 110,600 square feet of highly energy-efficient space, 45
“Austin Central Library Near Completion,” Texas Architect. Nov/Dec 1977. Jessen Associates, Inc. “Jessen Associates Promotional Brochure,” Records and Drawings (AR.2009.018). Austin History Center, Austin Public Library, Texas. 46
NPS Form 10900-a
OMB No. 10240018
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
Name of Property
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Section number 8
County and State
Faulk Library Travis County, TX
Page 12
users research, study, and browse in facilities that by design are inviting, open, and flexible. There is space for 600 seated patrons and 400,000 volumes.”47 The Faulk Library design is not only the work of prolific and locally significant architects, but clearly the result of innumerable public and civic inputs; the architecture and design responds both to the specific site chosen on Guadalupe and W. 8th and to the public concerns over increased library visitation, changing and developing technologies, and the historic character of neighboring blocks. CRITERION C: Significance in Architecture Represents the work of locally significant architecture firm, Jessen Associates, Inc. Harold Everett “Bubi” Jessen (1908-1979) and Wolf Ernst Jessen (1915-1977) were born and raised in Austin, Texas. Both of the Jessen brothers received bachelor’s degrees in architecture from University of Texas at Austin when the architecture program was still in the College of Engineering under the directorship of Hugo Franz Kuehne.48 Trained by a master of Beaux-Arts form language, the Jessen brothers demonstrated remarkable skill in the classical and revival styles; they were responsible for innumerable restoration projects on UT Austin campus and throughout Austin. After WWII, their work shifted toward more modern form language as evidenced by the Texas Supreme Court Building (1956) and Lester E. Palmer Building (1959). During Fred Day’s tenure, Jessen Associates, Inc. produced a prolific number of beautiful modern and New Formalist buildings, including the Faulk Library and the University of Texas System Administration building. Bubi Jessen, who graduated from UT Austin in 1928, went on to earn a master’s degree in architecture from MIT in 1931. Before going to MIT, Bubi Jessen worked as an assistant to Kuehne in the architecture program for a year. After receiving his master’s degree, Bubi Jessen returned to Austin to work for C.H. Page until 1938. While working for Page in 1933, Bubi Jessen was commissioned by his old professor and employer, Hugo Kuehne, to design and paint a fresco on the ceiling of the loggia of Kuehne’s Austin Central Library building.49 In 1936, Bubi Jessen won first prize in a Portland Cement Association-sponsored competition for his design of a concrete house to be built at the Texas Centennial Exposition in Dallas. Bubi Jessen designed the colorful terrazzo floor in the rotunda of The Texas State Capitol, which was installed in 1936.50 A member of the Texas Society of Architects, a member of the American Institute of Architects, the president of the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners in 1956, Bubi Jessen was also a noted watercolorist, illustrator and publisher.51 47
Jessen Associates, Inc. “Jessen Associates Promotional Brochure.” “Texas 50,” Texas Architect. November 12, 1989, 59. 49 Harwood, Decorating Texas, 71. 50 Spain, Jr., Charles A. “Seals of Texas," Handbook of Texas Online. Uploaded on June 15, 2010. Published by the Texas State Historical Association. Accessed November 19, 2015, http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/mss01. 51 Jessen and Jessen Papers, Alexander Architectural Archive, University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin. 48
NPS Form 10900-a
OMB No. 10240018
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
Name of Property
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Section number 8
County and State
Faulk Library Travis County, TX
Page 13
Wolf Jessen graduated from UT Austin with a bachelor’s degree in architecture in 1936. Wolf Jessen also worked for C.H. Page from 1933 to 1936. Before serving in the military in WWII, Wolf Jessen primarily specialized in residential architecture. Wolf Jessen was first flutist in the Austin Symphony after joining in 1938. In 1946, Wolf Jessen became an Assistant Professor of architecture at University of Texas at Austin and in 1949, he was appointed president of the Austin chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Wolf Jessen was married to Janet Collett, a prominent Austin dancer.52 The brothers left the office of C.H. Page in 1936 to form their own firm, Jessen & Jessen. Ten years later, the firm became Jessen Jessen Millhouse & Greeven. Jessen Jessen Millhouse & Greeven were noted for their restoration of a number of UT Austin buildings and of the Governor’s Mansion in Austin (1947-8) and for their Modernist designs for the Texas Supreme Court Building (1956) and the Lester E. Palmer Auditorium (1959). In 1969, the firm became Jessen Jessen Millhouse Greeven Crume Day & Newman, but in 1971, just two years later, shortened the name to Jessen Associates, Inc. Jessen and Jessen’s firm - throughout various stages of growth and name change - was in practice for over 50 years, primarily in Austin; after Wolf Jessen died in 1977 and Bubi Jessen in 1979, the firm continued to operate as Jessen Associates, Inc. until 1993. By the early 1980s, Jessen Associates, Inc. had been responsible for over 23 restoration projects; 20 University of Texas buildings, the construction of at least 10 offices, 4 churches, 8 apartment buildings, 6 commercial buildings, 5 high technology buildings, 13 government buildings, 9 schools, buildings on 13 universities; and the design of over 31 plans and master plans for universities, schools and corporations..53 Fred Winfield Day (1926-2014) worked for a number of Austin architecture firms, including Jessen Jessen Millhouse & Greeven before becoming a principle at Jessen Associates, Inc. A Texas native, like the Jessen brothers, Day received his bachelor’s degree in architecture from University of Texas at Austin. Day was a winner of the design citation from Progressive Architecture magazine, a member and director of the Texas Society of Architects, a member and president of the Austin Chapter of American Institute of Architects, on the Texas Highway Department Advisory Board, as well as a president of the Austin/Travis County Mental Health Association. Day worked for architect Ned A. Cole, Fehr & Granger and Jessen Jessen Millhouse & Greeven until 1958 when he established Pendley and Day in 1958, and then a private practice in 1961. Day returned to work with Jessen and Jessen when they made him a principle at their firm in 1969. After the death of Bubi and Wolf Jessen, Day took over as president of Jessen Associates, Inc. Fred Day is noted for his work as project manager of the Faulk Central Library and an ambitious design for the Lila B. Etter Alumni Center over Waller Creek.54 55
52
Ibid. Jessen Associates, Inc. “Jessen Associates Promotional Brochure.” 54 Nicar, Jim. “The Alumni Center Turns 50!” The UT History Corner, April 12, 2015. http://jimnicar.com/tag/fred-day/. 55 “Fred Winfield Day Jr. Obituary.” Legacy.com, October 22, 2014. http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/statesman/obituary.aspx?pid=172935681. 53
NPS Form 10900-a
OMB No. 10240018
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
Name of Property
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Section number 8
County and State
Faulk Library Travis County, TX
Page 14
Distinctive Characteristics of a Type and Period Although sometimes referred to as a “brutalist” style building, the Faulk Library is more accurately characterized as a New Formalist building. These styles are often confused because they use similarly minimal geometry with little to no decoration and often emphasize exposed structure or material. Derived from the French term for unfinished concrete, béton brut, brutalism refers to buildings of exposed, raw concrete material and modulated massing that correlates with interior function. Brutalism emerged in the 1950s and was popular into the 1970s, especially for civil and institutional architecture that wished to portray a certain amount of longevity and monumentality. By the 1970s it was becoming more common to use techniques like sand blasting to alter the texture and finish of concrete, often to soften its appearance. New Formalist architecture similarly came out of mid-century modern architecture in the United States as a derivative of and reaction to both Brutalist concrete and the International Style of glass and steel. Architects such as Edward Durrell Stone, Philip Johnson, Minoru Yamasaki and Welton Becket were known for their mastery of the New Formalist style which tended to emphasize symmetry, Vitruvian proportions, classical forms such as arches and columns, and rich materials. Rather than just raw concrete or glass, New Formalist buildings often flaunted luxurious materials like marble and formal landscaping with fountains. Although New Formalist architecture moved away from the exposed concrete of Brutalism, structural elements were often still exposed; New Formalist buildings tended to experiment with the more plastic forms of concrete like waffle slabs, folded plates and umbrella shells. While still embracing minimalist geometry and massing, New Formalist buildings tend to have more decorative elements than earlier modernist buildings. Like Brutalism, New Formalism was generally employed for civic, institutional and high cultural buildings for its classic proportionality and form, monumental stature and lush material. Westgate Tower in Austin is a prominent example of a New Formalist building designed by Edward Durrell Stone, a nationally known architect; locally famous architects Fehr & Granger also worked on the Westgate Tower. The Westgate Tower, built in 1966, was nominated to the National Register of Historic Places in 2012. Another example of New Formalism in Austin is the Cambridge Tower Condominiums which employs repeating arches and beautiful decorative concrete blocks. More similar to the Faulk Library in design and function is the Lyndon B. Johnson Library designed by Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill in 1971, which exemplifies all of the New Formalist characteristics of monumentality, lush material, lack of ornament and a formal plaza. The LBJ Library is noted for the cantilevered 10th floor which provides views of the city and UT Austin Campus from its monolithic perch. While these examples have been more celebrated in the public imagination, Jessen Associates, Inc. was responsible for a number of New Formalist buildings in Austin; these buildings include the Texas Supreme Court Building, Lester E. Palmer Auditorium, Teacher Retirement System of Texas Headquarters, Police and Courts Building for the City of Austin, Central Correction Facility, Travis County, Stephen F. Austin State Office Building, and the University of Texas Systems Administrative Building. The Faulk Library is an excellent example of nuanced architecture coming out of the offices of Jessen Associates during the mid to late 20th century. The prolific work of Bubi Jessen, Wolf Jessen and Fred
NPS Form 10900-a
OMB No. 10240018
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
Name of Property
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Section number 8
County and State
Faulk Library Travis County, TX
Page 15
Day shaped Austin’s civic, educational and high tech built environment. While the Faulk Library isn’t the “quintessential” example New Formalist style, but it is an example of the architects Jessen, Jessen and Day to uniquely respond to a site and sociopolitical climate through a mastery of architectural form, style and material. The tone and texture of the concrete responds to the neighboring historic Austin History Center building; the cantilevered, horizontal mass responds to the nearby Bremond Block; the design takes a progressive approach to accessibility for the 1970s and efficiently utilizes space light and heat through its open plan, transoms and set-back windows. This is especially apparent in contrast to UT Systems Administration Building, also known as Ashbel Smith Hall, which Jessen Associates completed in1975; Ashbel Hall employs similarly regular fenestration, set back ground floor and simple materials, but Faulk Library is an example of better execution of all of these material and formal choices. The top floors of the Faulk Library are fully cantilevered, creating a feeling of a elevated floating mass. The regular fenestration is improved in the Faulk Library with the additional aesthetic interest of the connections of the fins and transoms, particularly in the corners of the building, and windows set back behind planters. The Faulk Library represents an important example of New Formalist architecture in Austin in response to a growing city, institutional and civic body, and a burgeoning awareness of historic preservation as part of city planning. The Faulk Library utilizes the symmetry and proportions that are characteristic of New Formalist architecture such as the LBG Library. Although the Faulk Library utilizes a sand-blasted architectural concrete which is less luxurious than marble or other limestone - befitting a capital improvement project for a library constantly facing budget constraints - it presents a similar tone and monolithic presence. The Faulk Library is particularly successful it its New Formalist integration of building material and surrounding landscaping; the same sand-blast finished architectural concrete continues from the library building in to the geometric, irregular hardscaping of the landscape surrounding the east and south sides of the building. The irregular heights and angles of the hardscaping provide visual contrast to the regular, symmetrical orthogonality of the building. Although the landscaping is not a plaza of grand scale, like the LBJ Library for example, but it functions to create a transitional space between the busy street and the quiet space of the library. Additionally, from inside the ground floor, the view south to the Bremond District is foregrounded by the vegetation of the planted boxes. The Faulk Library is also a remarkably intact example of New Formalist interior design. The open plan, dotted by architectural concrete structural columns with large, regular windows has both a formality and an expansive quality. The extra-wide floating staircase immediately facing the entry is grand in size and structure, but simple in ornament; the floating staircase contributes to the New Formalist project of grandeur in public and institutional space without relying on ornamentation. In addition to the beautifully simple and architecturally improbable architectural concrete floating staircase, the interior of the Faulk Library was thoughtfully decorated with lighting and furniture to compliment the New Formalist project. Incredibly, most of the public furniture is still intact and in relatively good condition - some of the chairs could require reupholstering but are in excellent structural condition – and retaining a high degree of interior integrity in the realms of design, feeling and association. The primary color Herman Miller Eames chairs were selected to provide a vibrant visual contrast to the monolithic ivory color of the concrete and to provide comfortable seating for the many patrons. An early brochure for the new library describes Jessen Associates and Clegg Austin’s design intentions for the interior space, “The interior is
NPS Form 10900-a
OMB No. 10240018
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
Name of Property
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Section number 8
County and State
Faulk Library Travis County, TX
Page 16
arranged on an open floor plan with few walls in the public areas. This design allows maximum air flow, complete versatility, the best use of natural and artificial lighting, and clear visibility of all locations on each level. The predominant background color is ivory, furniture is grouped in primary colors of red, blue, and green, and light gold carpeting covers the entire public area. Comfortable lounge chairs are arranged in graceful curves near many of the windows, affording well-lit and quite reading areas.”56 Criteria Consideration - Less Than 50 Years Old The Faulk Library was completed in 1978 and opened to the public in 1979, but had been represented in serious design iterations as early as 1975. The Austin History Center archive has a large-format, hand-painted rendering of the building dated 1975 which depicts a version of the Faulk Library that includes all the character-defining features of the New Formalist design that were ultimately implemented. The 1975 rendering depicts the ivory color of the concrete to match the Austin History Center in the background, symmetrical and evenly coursed fenestration separated by fins and transoms, windows recessed behind planter boxes, and the ground floor set back from the street under the cantilevered top floors that are all characteristic of the building that would be completed in 1978; even the number of window openings on the east and south facades is accurate. The only difference between the 1975 rendering and the eventually constructed building is the number floors; originally a five story building was proposed, but due to budget constraints and consideration for the character of the neighborhood the architects and Library Commission settled on a four-story building.57 The 1975 rendering also indicates that the design had already been thought out in relation to the specific site, including the surrounding Austin History Center Building and Bremond Block; this supports the comments by Jessen Associates, Inc. architect Fred Day in The Austin American Statesman in 1975 that would indicate that the firm was thinking and designing in relation to the specific site and historic preservation concerns that were at the forefront of public conversation.58 Although the Faulk Library is currently less than 50 years old there is certainly a precedent for nominating exceptional New Formalist buildings in Austin with the nomination of the residential building, Westgate Tower. The Faulk Library is locally significant under Criterion C for being an excellent example of public institutional New Formalist architecture in Austin and an example of New Formalist interior architecture with an exceptionally high degree of integrity. Designed by significant and prolific Austin-born and -educated architects Bubi and Wolf Jessen, the Faulk Library is perhaps the most significant New Formalist building in Austin built by Austin architects. Additionally, the Faulk Library is the last public project that Bubi and Wolf Jessen worked on before their deaths in 1979 and 1977 respectively. The Faulk Library project bookends a 56
Austin Public Library. “The Austin Public Library - 800 Guadalupe Street.” Austin Public Library Information Office. Austin History Center, Austin Public Library, Texas. (n.d. c.1979) 57 In the 82-page construction documents completed on January 23, 1976 and approved by the city on April 1, 1976 there are a few alternate bids for the top floor of the building - either the fourth or fifth floor depending on the bidding - which includes an administrative floor with an open plan, a penthouse, a floor with a publicly accessible auditorium (as was built). See: Jessen Associates, Inc. “Jessen Associates Promotional Brochure.” See also: Cox, Mike. “Will new building have 3 or 4 stories?” The Austin American Statesman (1973-1987). November 27, 1975. 58 See: O’Connell, “Library site criticism brings special meeting.”; O’Connell, John. “Library gets zoning nod.”
NPS Form 10900-a
OMB No. 10240018
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
Name of Property
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Section number 8
County and State
Faulk Library Travis County, TX
Page 17
prolific architecture career in Austin for Bubi Jessen in particular, whose earliest commission after graduating from UT Austin was the loggia fresco on the original central library building (now the Austin History center) directly next door to the Faulk Library; not only do the two buildings on Block 101 represent the earliest and latest works by Bubi Jessen, they illustrate a marked development in his skill and style while still emphasizing his ability to adapt projects to their specific location, time and function. The Faulk Library is also exceptionally significant under Criterion A for its connection to the growth of Austin in the 1970s and its role in discussions of city planning with relation to historic preservation and the development of the downtown “Central Business District.� The Faulk Library was serving three times the number of patrons as the old central library building within the first year it was open and has continued to function as an Austin public institution for the last 40 years. The Faulk Library also stands as a physical result of a sometimes controversial discussion about the proper relationship between historic preservation and development, which is of course ongoing in Austin. At the time of its design and construction the New Formalist Faulk Library was very modern and stood in contrast to the historic Bremond Block; however, we will note that the now-National Register listed Austin History Center building was just over 40 years old at the time of the construction of the Faulk Library, but was already noted for its architectural and public significance. Now, the Faulk Library is just over 40 years old, standing next to the old central library, and marks a later generation of civic institutional architecture in Austin. The Faulk Library also would suggest that modern architecture, if thoughtfully designed, does not detract from historic architecture or districts and will become historically significant in its own right as neighborhoods and styles inevitably develop and change. The Faulk Library is locally significant and has a remarkably high degree of interior and exterior integrity under Criterion A for its role in the development of Austin city planning and under Criterion C as an example of New Formalist design by locally significant architects.
NPS Form 10900-a
OMB No. 10240018
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
Name of Property
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Section number Map
Page
County and State
1
Faulk Library Travis County, TX
NPS Form 10900-a
OMB No. 10240018
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
Name of Property
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Section number Map
Page
County and State
2
Faulk Library Travis County, TX
NPS Form 10900-a
OMB No. 10240018
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
Name of Property
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Section number PHOTO 1
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National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet
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National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet
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National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet
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Section number PHOTO
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National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet
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Section number PHOTO
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United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
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National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet
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