Michael Batryn Director Sandy Miller
California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo San Francisco Urban Program Arch 451 Fall 2010
Branch Library in the Marina Neighborhood
San Francisco
I began this project by examining what exactly a library traditionally was, how they were built, and most important to me how they addressed their context and the specific local needs. I finally settled on a general definition that I thought could be applied universally to all libraries. While traditionally a library is a place where books, newspapers, music, and videos are kept for reading, reference, or lending a libraries role has expanded far beyond that. This role has been expanded to include computers with internet access and DVDs and CDs as an additional mean of finding information. This is keeping with libraries role as a center for research, teaching, and public service. A library should also be specific to the community that it is located in. It should also respond to community needs; having classes, providing links to job postings, and providing a place where the community can meet to discuss its needs. Overall a library should be a sanctuary of learning, knowledge, and community.
Site Analysis
Defining Characteristics
Environmental Influences
Path
Bay Walk
Edge
Node
Park
Marina Green
Edge
Marina Blvd
Wind Marina Blvd
Bay
Beach St
Beach St Winter Sun
North Point St
Gough St
Octavia St
Playground
Node
Chestnut St
Path
Laguna St
Shopping District
Bay St
Gough St
Octavia St
Linear Node
Buchanan St
Bay St
Webster St
Fillmore St
Laguna St
Buchanan St
Webster St
Fillmore St
North Point St
Chestnut St
Magnolia St
Lombard St
Lombard St
Marina Library
Magnolia St
Summer Sun Lombard St
San Francisco Urban Program
2010 Year 04 Fall Quarter
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Park
Marina Middle School
_Wide open views _Not heavily used on weekdays
_Large open paved yard surrounded by fence
Library Site
_No tall buildings adjacent to block solar access _Opens to park _Site mostly flat
Chestnut St _one lane each direction
_parallel parking on both sides
Playground
_Heavily used
Parks Building
_bus route plus moderate amount of traffic
Chestnut St _25’ rhythm (vera) _3 to 4 floors high
Site Surroundings
N
Access from small path almost entirely in the shade
Opens up to the park - long view across
Views
Views
Playground forms a soft edge
School yard forms a hard edge
Tennis courts form a hard edge
Private Public
Kids come from adjacent school
Bus stop provides lots of traffic + easy access
Street forms a soft edge
Marina Library
N
San Francisco Urban Program
Children + parents come from playground for story time
Site Access
The analysis of the actual site at a smaller scale unveiled some of the main characteristics that helped to guild my design. The corner to the Northeast provides the main view from the site as it opens up to a nice long view all the way through the park to the baseball diamond on the far side. The corner to the Northwest also provides a nice view, although dramatically different. It looks down a path that runs along the side of the park and through the libraries site. The playground to the East provides the other major view corridor, especially since the playground is used extensively. The corner to the Northeast, the playground, and the street all help to define a more public side of the site as they are very open, providing easy visual access for the many people that walk along these edges. The tennis courts to the North, the path that runs along the edge of the park and the school wall define the more private and secluded side of the site, all side are either enclosed or semi enclosed and have limited visibility as well as pedestrian traffic.
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My next step was to determine what this specific community needed and how I could go about providing that in the library. I started by visiting as many of the branch libraries in San Francisco as I could as well as some libraries closer to my home in Sunnyvale. One of the most apparent things about these libraries was that they did not seem to address their context very well and were extremely closed off to the exterior. I observed two basic typologies for the libraries that I visited. The L shaped library is usually outwardly focused and opens up to a view and provides most of the seating area along the inner strip of the L. This lead the library to provide great views but often times lacked the smaller nooks and secluded areas that allowed people to immerse themselves in a book without the constant distractions of other people around them. The donut library scheme is much more inwardly focused. These libraries largely ignore the site around them and often times had a central courtyard or other some other block in the middle to break up the space and allow for people to spread out more. The central courtyard is the main advantage of this layout as it allows people to take a book outside to read without have to check it out first. However, this caused them to lack any other awareness of their context which means they didn’t take full advantage of the site’s views.
Building Footprint
L Shaped
Donut
_mostly outwardly focused _opens to view _seating mostly linear _no direct access to outside
_mostly inwardly focused _doesn’t fully open to view _allows for nooks and internal reading spots _direct access to outside
Combination _Mostly focused on central axis _opens to view _some linear seating as well as nooks and internal reading spots _direct access to outside N
Marina Library
San Francisco Urban Program
I developed a combination of the L and donut that pulled out the best of the individual schemes while minimizing the negatives. The L part of my building would open up to the site and house the collective knowledge and more of the open seating with a view. The donut and courtyard part would provide some of the alcoves and nooks for more individual study as well as access to the outside from within the library. Also a clear organization is established along the central axis with a clear division between servant and served space
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Circulation
The circulation for my library design is focused around a main atrium space serves as the central destination for knowledge and learning, as it houses the main stacks as well as the computers. This is further brought out sectionally in the building as it is the tallest space. From there each user group is provided with an cul-de-sac type to refuge where they can peel off from the main group and find a place to engross themselves with a good book, the local newspaper, or just the company of others. This method of organization offers everyone a private space where they can get away but also a central space where they can come together. The path between the park and the street that is pulled over the library also ties in the community center, park, street, and public forum all together.
Community Room
Circulation Desk
User Group Paths Community Room
Marina Library
Adults Teens
San Francisco Urban Program
Children Main Stacks
2010 Year 04 Fall Quarter
N
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Interior Conditions
The main atrium space serves to orientate the circulation, opens to the main public view, as well as holds the main knowledge of the library so it forms the top of the hierarchy of spaces. The various wings that hold the different user groups spaces are slightly smaller to give a more personal and intimate feel. The entry is also brought down in scale to make it more approachable from the outside and allow the library to open up within. Servant Served Space
Spacial
Hierarchy N
Excellent visibility throughout the library from the circulation desk is a must so that the library can be staffed by a minimum number of librarians. This allows the library to be kept open for longer hours since not as many people have to be payed during non-peak usage hours. The circulation desk is also placed in the main axis with the main stacks and the computers as part of the central wealth of knowledge.
Line of Sight
Circulation Desk
N
Marina Library
San Francisco Urban Program
2010 Year 04 Fall Quarter
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Ground Floor Plan
The axis formed by the main atrium helps to guide people into the various user areas while also providing a open and welcoming space with plenty of seating within. While there is a separate space for all of the different groups they are linked together so people are never separated by that much. Also views from one area to another keep the library as a unified whole while allowing people their own space.
Ramps to Roof Deck
Adult Books
Storage
Mens Bath
Telecommunications Closet
Break Room
Womens Bath
Teens
Elevator
Courtyard
Computers
Study Room
Audio/Visual
Staff Area Study Room
New Books Branch Office
Sorting Area
Study Room
Family Storage Bath
Learning Center
Community Living Room
Circulation Desk
Holds Self Check-out
Elevator
Children’s Area Story Room
Entry
Ground Level N
Marina Library
San Francisco Urban Program
2010 Year 04 Fall Quarter
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Second Level Plan
The adult reading area located on the second floor of the library offers views into both the central atrium and the children's area beyond on one side and a view of the roof deck and courtyard below on the other. The path from the park up and over the library comes down and meets the street in a public forum. The path itself offer secluded spots to sit as well as more social spot to congregate. The forum steps not only lead up to the community meeting room but also serve to link the path from the park to the street as well as a place to sit and wait for the bus. The community meeting room can take advantage of this during breaks to offer a more informal place to discuss issues. The large courtyard behind the library offers people a sheltered spot from the street to sit and eat lunch, relax, and watch the activities of the park.
Ramps to Park
Green Roof Elevator
Green Roof Roof Deck Community Meeting Room Adult Reading Area
Elevator
Storage
Public Forum
Second Level N
Marina Library
San Francisco Urban Program
2010 Year 04 Fall Quarter
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Building Massing
View from Chestnut St The main facade that faces Chestnut St can be broken down into two main features; the community meeting room and the central atrium of the library. The central atrium pulls out over the entrance of the building leaving three walls of glass into the entry. The actual entrances are visible on both sides by the cantilevered elements that help to mark their location as well as help to transition to the immediate scale of the interior of the building all the while hinting that it will open up much more shortly afterwards. The forum leads up to the community center which is lit from the East, Sout, and West side by a series of perforation. The same pattern used here is also used in the mulluin patterning as well as the ground pavers. The perforations are part of the system that filters the view into the courtyard. This effect is acheived on the side with the roof walk by a series of trees. These similar ways to limit the view into the courtyard and help to retain a certain level of privacy within.
Marina Library
San Francisco Urban Program
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