THE LIBRARY & THE CITY BETWEEN THE GRID

THE LIBRARY & THE CUBE THE GRID & ME

The grid can be interpreted in many ways. For many, the grid represents order, rigidity, and systemization. When Robert Hoddle put forward his plan for the Hoddle grid in 1837, he set out to put order to the existing wild and vast topography of what was to become Melbourne city. For me, the grid represents a way in which chaos can be controlled. The use of a city library is changing. It no longer serves as just a quiet place to read. It now serves as an important public space in which views can be challenged, new knowledge can be gained, and new experiences had. The library must be capable of changing and adapting over time to suit the needs of its inhabitants. A building shaped by its users for its users. A vessel or system that can continue to change and adapt. The grid in my project is the systemized facilitator/structure and the spaces inside formed and created by the objects held within the structure. The grid floats into thin air, allowing the objects inside to express the ephemeral and ever-changing form of the building. A transparent, formless architecture. A dichotomy between light and heavy, chaos and tranquillity, rigidity and fluidity, the signifier and the signified. It is a library that not only celebrates the book but the freedom of public space.

The grid can be interpreted in many ways. For many the grid represents order, rigidity and systemization. When Robert Hoddle put forward his plan for the Hoddle grid in 1837, he set out to put order to the existing wild and vast topography of what was to become Melbourne city. For me the grid represents a way in which chaos can be controlled.

The use of a city library is changing. It no longer serves as just a quiet place to read. It now serves as an extremely important public space for communities, in which views can be challenged, new knowledge can be gained, and new experiences had. The library must be capable of changing and adapting over time to suit the needs and its inhabitants. A building shaped by its users for its users. A vessel or system that can continue to change and adapt. The grid in my project is the systemized facilitator/structure and the space now created by the object. The Object is essentially now free to form its own path in direct contrast to the rigidity of the grid. The grid floats off into thin air, allowing the objects inside to express their form. A dichotomy between light and heavy, chaos and tranquillity rigidity and fluidity. It is a library that not only celebrates the book but the freedom of public space. A space that will be shaped by its community. A pluralistic and

MAP: POSSIBILITY OF THE LIBRARY

The Possibility of a Library