Branded Library: Extending the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County Through the Avondale Community
By Diana Short Master of Architecture, DAAP
Branded Library: Extending the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County Through the Avondale Community
A thesis submitted to the The Division of Research and Advanced Studies of the University of Cincinnati in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE in the School of Architecture and Interior Design in the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning 2012
By
Diana Short B.A. Arch, Ball State University, 2007
First Committee Chair: John Hancock, MArch Second Committee Chair: Jeffrey Tilman, Ph.D.
ABSTRACT
Libraries remain vital institutions despite changes in resources and use.
Specifically, the branch library must address the challenges and opportunities of its associated community. In reaching this goal, identity and traditional functions hybridize in order to redefine the institution’s vision. Research into multi-functional libraries and retail stores illuminates the library’s potential to adapt through environmental branding, and envisions spaces sensitive to the unique DNA of the brand. The methodology for designing the branch library as a branded environment includes selecting brand touchpoints, structuring the site, and expanding the program to more fully engage the needs of the community.
The thesis design proposal, located in Avondale, a Cincinnati
neighborhood that lacks convenient resources and struggles with crime, will overhaul a 100-year-old Carnegie library facility in order to increase its prominence within the community. In the manner of Tschumi’s la Villette “follies,” 16’ x 10’ red library cards mark the cardholder’s journey across the site, focusing on five functions: technology, entertainment, nourishment, learning, and community. The proposed buildings link the site response while providing settings for technology resources and community gathering. This proposal addresses how the brand of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County can be propelled into the community, transcending the conventional library. The research and design suggests opportunities for other PLCH branch libraries to increase brand engagement, each in accord with the specificity of its neighborhood, facility, and cardholders.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
To my supportive and loving family, Tim, Fran, and Chris. To my close friends, my thesis committee, and my colleagues at DAAP for always lending a listening ear. And to Elayne, my late mentor, who was one of the first to focus my attention on design that was both beautiful and sensitive to people’s diverse needs.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract Acknowledgements Illustration Credits
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01 Introduction PREFACE
02 The Public Library LITERATURE _ USER ORIENTED DESIGN PRECEDENT - Anacostia Branch PRECEDENT - Ballard Branch COMMUNITY REVITALIZER PRECEDENT - Columbian Library Parks PRECEDENT - Hamilton Public Library and Farmer’s Market ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY PRECEDENT - Digital Bookmobile SUMMARY
03 Urban Identity SITE AND SURROUNDING CONTEXT HISTORIC CONTEXT LOCAL IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS LITERATURE_URBAN PLACEMAKING PRECEDENT - Parc De La Villette LITERATURE_URBAN INTERACTIONS PRECEDENT - Marugame Station Plaza THE ROLE OF THE THIRD PLACE PRECEDENT - Salbke Bookmark SUMMARY
04 Branded Environments BRANDING CONCEPTS DEFINED PRECEDENT - Interior of the Richard E. Lindner Center PRECEDENT - Antron Resource Center LITERATURE_EMOTIONAL BRANDING PRECEDENT - Apple Store, Soho PRECEDENT - Starbucks Coffee Company LITERATURE_PLACE BRANDING PRECEDENT - Lovett Memorial Branch LITERATURE_SENSORY BRANDING THE PLCH BRAND BRAND TOUCHPOINTS SERVICE DELIVERY
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01 01 07 20 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 33 33 34 36 38 41 42 43 44 46 47 49 49 51 52 52 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 61
TABLE OF CONTENTS BRAND EXPERIENCE SUMMARY
62 63
05 Community Program
65 66 67 69 72 73
CURRENT PROGRAM BREAKDOWN CARDHOLDER PROFILES LIBRARY NARRATIVE PROGRAMMED ACTIVITIES SUMMARY
06 Proposed Design SITE SCALE BUILDING SCALE CARDHOLDER SCALE
75 76 78 79
07 Conclusion
81
Selected Bilbliography
83
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ILLUSTRATION CREDITS Cover
All Short, Diana. Physical Models and Drawing. Winter 2012.
01 Introduction 01.01 01.02 01.03 01.04 01.05 01.06
Short, Diana. Personal Photograph. 29 Nov. 2011. http://plusmood.com http://www.slcpl.lib.ut.us/community http://visitindy.com/ http://www.cincinnatilibrary.org/ Short, Diana. Personal Photograph. 23 Sep. 2011.
02 The Public Library 02.01 02.02 02.03 02.04 02.05 02.06 02.07 02.08 02.09 02.10 02.11 02.12 02.13 02.14 02.15 02.16 02.17 02.18 02.19 02.20 02.21 02.22 02.23 02.24 02.25 02.26 02.27 02.28 02.29 02.30 02.31 02.32 02.33
Logotopia: the Library in Architecture, Art and the Imagination Free To Alll: Carnegie Libraries & American Culture, 1890-1920 Free To Alll: Carnegie Libraries & American Culture, 1890-1920 Free To All: Carnegie Libraries & American Culture, 1890-1920 http://michiganmodern.org http://michiganmodern.org http://www.cityofsound.com/blog Office for Metropolitan Architecture: Seattle Public Library Office for Metropolitan Architecture: Seattle Public Library “PLCH Cardholder Clusters.� PLCH Website Short, Diana. Personal Photograph. 23 Sep. 2011. Short, Diana. Personal Photograph. 13 Oct. 2011. http://archrecord.construction.com/projects/ http://archrecord.construction.com/projects/ http://archrecord.construction.com/projects/ http://archrecord.construction.com/projects/ http://archrecord.construction.com/projects/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/seattledailyphoto/ http://www.historylink.org/ Short, Diana. Diagram. 10 Oct. 2011. http://www.medellin.travel/en/ http://www.medellin.travel/en/ http://www.archdaily.com/ http://studenttravel.about.com/ http://www.archdaily.com/ http://www.archdaily.com/ http://www.archdaily.com/ http://www.archdaily.com/ Short, Diana. Diagram. 20 Dec. 2011. www.digitalbookmobile.com/ www.digitalbookmobile.com/ www.digitalbookmobile.com/
03 Urban Identity
03.01 Short, Diana. Diagram and Personal Photographs. 12 Oct. 2011. 03.02 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Avondale-cincinnati-map.jpg
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ILLUSTRATION CREDITS 03.03 03.04 03.05 03.06 03.07 03.08 03.09 03.10 03.11 03.12 03.13 03.14 03.15 03.16 03.17
The Cincinnati Times-Star “Alpha and omega�: James W. McLaughlin, architect, Cincinnati Short, Diana. Diagram. 12 Oct. 2011. Short, Diana. Personal Photograph. 23 Sep. 2011. Short, Diana. Diagram. 5 Oct. 2011. Short, Diana. Diagram. 12 Apr. 2012. Bure, Gilles de. Bernard Tschumi Bure, Gilles de. Bernard Tschumi Bure, Gilles de. Bernard Tschumi http://www.architravel.com/architravel/building/ http://people.umass.edu Short, Diana. Diagram. 12 Nov. 2011. http://www.openideo.com/open/vibrant-cities/inspiration/ http://www.designbuzz.com/ http://www.designbuzz.com/
04 Branded Environments 04.01 04.02 04.03 04.04 04.05 04.06 04.07 04.08 04.09 04.10 04.11 04.12 04.13 04.14 04.15 04.16 04.17 04.18 04.19 04.20 04.21 04.22 04.23 04.24 04.25
http://tommytoy.typepad.com http://www.flickr.com/photos/mleak http://www.perkinswill.com/expertise/branded-environments.html http://www.perkinswill.com/expertise/branded-environments.html http://www.perkinswill.com/expertise/branded-environments.html Short, Diana. Diagram. 1 Dec. 2011. Short, Diana. Diagram. 28 Dec. 2011. http://www.perkinswill.com/expertise/branded-environments.html http://www.perkinswill.com/expertise/branded-environments.html http://archrecord.construction.com/projects/ http://archrecord.construction.com/projects/ http://archrecord.construction.com/projects/ http://www.starbucks.com/ http://utsa.edu/today/2007/12/starbucks.cfm Architect. July 2008. 54. http://laughingatchaos.com/2007/02/ http://www.starbucksmelody.com http://www.starbucks.com/ http://www.freelibrary.org/ http://www.freelibrary.org/ http://www.freelibrary.org/ Lindstrom, Martin. Brand Sense. Lindstrom, Martin. Brand Sense. Short, Diana. Diagram. 22 Dec. 2011. Short, Diana. Diagram. 20 Dec. 2011. www.cincinnatilibrary.com Short, Diana. Diagram. 6 Dec. 2011.
05 Community Program
05.01 http://thenounproject.com/ 05.02 Short, Diana. Diagram. 21 Jan. 2012. 05.03 Short, Diana. Diagram. 1 Dec. 2011. 05.04 - 5.08 http://www.gettyimages.com/
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ILLUSTRATION CREDITS 05.09 05.10 05.11 05.12 05.13 05.14 05.15 05.16 05.17 05.18 05.19 05.20 05.21 05.22 05.23 05.24
http://www.gettyimages.com/ http://www.gettyimages.com/ http://www.gettyimages.com/ Short, Diana. Watercolor Drawing. 27 Nov. 2011. Short, Diana. Watercolor Drawing. 27 Nov. 2011. Short, Diana. Watercolor Drawing. 27 Nov. 2011. Short, Diana. Watercolor Drawing. 27 Nov. 2011. Short, Diana. Watercolor Drawing. 27 Nov. 2011. Short, Diana. Watercolor Drawing. 27 Nov. 2011. Short, Diana. Watercolor Drawing. 27 Nov. 2011. Short, DIana. Diagram. 4 Jan. 2012. Short, Diana. Diagram. 4 Jan. 2012. Short, Diana. Diagram. 4 Jan. 2012. Short, Diana. Diagram. 4 Jan. 2012. Short, Diana. Diagram. 4 Jan. 2012. Short, Diana. Diagram. 4 Jan. 2012.
06 Proposed Design
06.01 Short, Diana. Diagram. 1 Apr. 2012. 06.02 Short, Diana. Diagram. 20 Mar. 2012. 06.03 Michelin et Cie., “Environs de Paris� Michelin Map #96, Clermont-Ferrand: 1978 06.04 http://clicio.wordpress.com/2009/03/27/inhotim-obrigatorio/ 06.05 Short, Diana. Diagram. 5 Mar. 2012. 06.06 Short, Diana. Site Plan. 29 Apr. 2012. 06.07 Short, Diana. Rendered Sketch. 26 Apr. 2012. 06.08 Short, Diana. Rendered Sketch. 26 Apr. 2012. 06.09 Short, Diana. Rendered Sketch. 26 Apr. 2012. 06.10 Short, Diana. Floor Plan. 1 May 2012. 06.11 Short, Diana. Floor Plan. 30 Apr. 2012. 06.12 Short, Diana. Elevation. 15 Apr. 2012. 06.13 Short, Diana. Elevation. 22 Apr. 2012. 06.14 Short, Diana. Elevation. 23 Apr. 2012. 06.15 Short, Diana. Diagram. 2 May 2012. 06.16 Short, Diana. Diagram. 4 May 2012. 06.17 Short, Diana. Diagram. 5 May 2012. 06.18 Short, Diana. Diagram. 5 May 2012.
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01 INTRODUCTION PREFACE
Going to the library is a special ritual for me. As a student, the initial
step in most of my educational endeavors begins with a trip to the local or university library. The last academic year has been filled with numerous jaunts to the Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning Library to guide the selection of my thesis topic. My creativity and learning was unbounded within the library environment. The process of wandering through the stacks aided my exploration into dozens of ideas and has expanded my understanding of many divergent subjects. I continued to uncover interests in the realms of art, architecture, social issues, and experiential branding while completing an internship in California. As I traveled to libraries across the Los Angeles area, my research felt like an adventure I was undertaking, rather than an obligatory assignment. As the months went on, I began to look past the shelves of books to observe how the library fosters a sense of community, instilling interaction and learning into its diverse members. Due to this exploratory, rewarding journey, the library itself became my topic.
The public library serves as a center for sharing information, collective
exploration, and quiet refuge. Simply, a library is an integral part of a 01.01 Research Materials
community. The library equitably provides a setting for community members of all backgrounds, income levels, and beliefs to gather together within one multipurpose institution. Recently, budget cuts and digitized resources call the necessity of physical libraries into question. Do social and technological changes foreshadow the death of this once central institution?
Experts and everyday citizens refute the death of the public library.
Use of libraries is on the rise, up 23% between 2006 and 2009, due in part to 01
the job-seeking resources they offer.1 In addition, the potential of the library losing prominence in a community is countered by society’s basic need to remain socially connected. Libraries all over the country have formulated new strategies and updated facilities to keep their participation and circulation on the rise. Computers, the Internet, and e-readers like the Kindle and Nook only change the way libraries are utilized, rather than signaling their obsolescence. This thesis will expand upon how identity and architectural environment can be adapted to create a library experience that surpasses convention and revitalizes community.
Intervention through branding and architecture has been utilized to
reevaluate the identity of the library in major United States cities with the focus typically directed towards the main, downtown, or central branch in a library system. Cities like Seattle, Salt Lake City, Indianapolis, and the District of Columbia have spent large sums of money to transform their main libraries into architectural wonders, redefining both place and institution in a concurrent, reflective manner, yet the smaller branches in the respective systems may not be addressed in this process. The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County (PLCH) launched a program in 2010 entitled Main Library for the 21st Century (ML/21), which successfully rebranded, reshuffled, and increased the technology staff and resources at the downtown branch, but offered no improvements to smaller branches in the system.
The power of a library system is a sum of its parts. The central library
represents the whole of the city, but the smaller branches, distributed throughout a city or county, spread the system’s message over a larger metropolitan area.
1
James Murdoch, “Beauty and the Book,” Architectural Record, July 12, 2011, http://archrecord.construction.com/projects/building _types_study/libraries/2011/libraries-intro.asp. 02
The library philanthropist Andrew Carnegie had a strong belief that branch libraries supplemented the work of the central library.
Carnegie funded the successful Pittsburgh library system based on
these assumptions.2 Part of the success of the branch model is location. They are situated within the fabric of the community, in close proximity to people’s 01.02 Seattle Public Library, Seattle, Washington
homes. The convenience of the branch library lends itself to becoming part of the daily routine and lifestyle of community members. Branch libraries have the potential to shape the identity of the community they reside within, many times having a restorative effect.
01.03 The City Library, Salt Lake City, Utah
Fostering the power of the branch library, this thesis will engage
the Avondale Branch, an existing library facility within the PLCH system. Avondale is a neighborhood in central Cincinnati that faces a unique set of challenges and opportunities, which can be addressed by the redesign of one of their most important cultural institutions, the public library.
01.04 Central Library, Indianapolis, Indiana
The particulars of this branch differ from those of the Main Library.
The Avondale branch provides 16 computer stations to the main library’s 100. The computers are constantly in use with this being many community members’ sole means of Internet access. Arguably, they are the most important resource the branch currently offers. Kids, adults, and job seekers alike seek out these resources to better themselves. Instead
01.05 Main Library, Cincinnati, Ohio
of dozens of staff on hand to answer questions, Avondale has three or four librarians working at any given time to serve their cardholders. Similar functions are occurring at the Avondale branch as at the Main Library just at a smaller scale. Increasing access to technology
01.06 Avondale Branch, Cincinnati, Ohio
2
Abigail Ayres Van Slyck, Free to All: Carnegie Libraries & American Culture, 1890-1920, (Chicago, IL: University of Chicago, 1995), 101-103. 03
is one example of a targeted function the public library can extend to fulfill the specific needs of the Avondale community.
The targeted functions and community needs for the
Avondale branch and the whole of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County are centered on the PLCH brand and strategic vision. The PLCH is a service-based commodity that communicates its identity to its customers similarly to brands like Target, Starbucks, and Apple. The PLCH brand utilizes a unifying color palette, a symbol of usage with the signature red library card, and customizable web pages that allow cardholders to connect remotely to continue exploration of the brand. The message is communicated through a variety of means, but the project will illustrate the potential of the library’s brand and functions to extend boldly into the physical environment, creating a sequence of experiences for the cardholder that makes the library an essential part of daily life.
Taking into account the trajectory of the public library, the
specificity of the urban place, and the role of branded environments will elucidate the message of the entire PLCH system through the filter of the Avondale branch. The first chapter focuses on the history, literature, and architectural precedents of the public library. The needs of the cardholders and the library’s impact upon the community will be the prime focus in this section. The following chapter will focus upon urban placemaking, the conditions of the site in Avondale, and site precedents. Kevin Lynch, Christian NorbergSchulz, Jane Jacobs, and Ray Oldenburg make valid arguments about how the city is perceived and how public spaces can become the setting for informal interactions. These principles are crucial to
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successfully embedding a library into the urban fabric of Avondale. Branding is the next topic that will be defined and integrated into the thesis development. Naomi Klein, Alina Wheeler, and Kevin Roberts, CEO of creative firm Saatchi & Saatchi, speak about the issues of branding and provide examples to illustrate how identity can be defined within the library environment. After delving into the subjects of public libraries, urban place, and branded environments, the program and proposed design will take shape in the last few chapters.
The message of the PLCH brand must be tailored to fit
the individual branch. Perception, functionality, and facility must be concurrently adapted to create a architectural response fitted to the situation. The resulting case study of the Avondale branch will elaborate on the ability of the public library’s identity to respond to the specificity of the urban place via a branded environment and how this can be applied to other branches in the PLCH system.
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02 THE PUBLIC LIBRARY
The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County and
numerous public libraries across the country are in a state of flux. The required evolution means not only progress for the institution itself, but also a variety of opportunities for the community at large. To understand the progress and development occurring, the institution’s origins, continual development, and challenges will be outlined. The history of the public library sheds light on the future direction of this still vital institution.
The library was a place for scholastic endeavors thousands of years
before card catalogs, best seller lists, and Internet databases. One of the first libraries was the Ancient Library of Alexandria, which was erected in 295 BC. It is unknown what the library buildings looked like because there is no written description to aid researchers. Some have surmised that it was likely a complex of buildings open to scientists, writers, and scholars, certainly not to the general public.1 The knowledge, scrolls upon scrolls, was housed in a temple of sorts. There was a selective learned audience who explored the collections, maintaining and supplementing the information.
Although still only a place for educated men, the term “public library”
was nonetheless used to describe the typology in Florence Renaissance. Many 02.01 Woodcut depicting the Hall in the Ancient Library of Alexandria
humanist scholars utilized the collection housed in the Dominican monastery of San Marco. The architect Michelozzo Michelozzi designed a long, narrow room, divided by columns. The books were arranged comfortably and the building served as a popular meeting place for scholars and writers.2 This 1 2
Sascha Hastings and Esther E. Shipman, Logotopia: the Library in Architecture, Art and the Imagination, (Cambridge, Ont.: Cambridge Galleries Design at Riverside, 2008), 12. Frederick Andrew Lerner, The Story of Libraries: from the Invention of Writing to the Computer Age, (New York: Continuum, 1998), 87. 07
substantiates the fact that the libraries from antiquity and into the Renaissance were concerned primarily with preserving knowledge, not public literacy or education.
Libraries transformed to revolve around the public and its needs in
the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Philanthropists began contributing to the creation of public libraries, nurturing an educational
02.02 Winn Memorial Public Library in Woburn, Masachusetts, designed by H.H. Richardson in 1876-79
mission. Architects like H.H. Richardson were commissioned to capture the vision of the public library as a multipurpose cultural institution. He developed a formula for the building typology that was based around a Romanesque style with a long axis serving as a expansive book hall flanked by reading rooms of a domestic scale (figures 02.02-04). The librarian’s desk was centrally located,
02.03 Book Hall at Winn Memorial Public Library
positioned to mediate the user’s experience of the books.3
Andrew Carnegie, steel tycoon and philanthropist, was the largest
contributor to the public library system. Carnegie himself was an immigrant who credited his love of literature with his access to a library. He gifted 2,500 Carnegie libraries to communities between 1886 and 1917.4 Acquiring a Carnegie library required a town to fill out a detailed application, answering questions about their book collections, facility requirements, and circulation statistics. The terms of the funding were contingent upon the population of the town being at least 1,000 people. Also, the town had to provide a site and agree to tax themselves 10 percent of the total gift to maintain the building, to purchase books, and to pay the salaries of the library staff.5
Coincidentally, this rapid period of building was also marked by
dramatic changes for libraries. In 1876, librarians banded together to found the American Library Association (ALA) due in part to their displeasure with 3 4 5
02.04 First Floor Plan of Winn Memorial Public Library, A = Book Hall, B = Reading Rooms, C = Librarian Desk, D = Alcove, E = Picture Galleries, F = Museum, G = Vestibule, H = Porch
Van Slyck, Free to All, 2-5. Ibid., 8-9. Ibid., 22. 08
the architecture of the library. They criticized the unnecessary extravagance and lacking functionality of the library buildings being produced at the time. They felt as though the architect lacked sensitivity and understanding about the needs of the librarian when designing gigantic halls of books, which required them to be drawn away from their desk more frequently.6 The designs reduced the librarian’s abilities to assist patrons. As libraries began to be focused on a larger public, architects needed to design spaces that facilitated interactions, convenient book storage, and ease of use.
These conversations prompted a variety of approaches for library
design, which resulted in a great diversity of library architecture. In addition, a challenge of librarianship around 1900 was how the books should be utilized. In 1897, librarian John Cotton Dana led the debate to increase open stacks, allowing patrons to explore the shelves freely and touch the books. He dismissed previous models, which had kept the library an inaccessible house of treasures, in the form of insular closed stacks. Dana wanted the public to gain a personal connection with the books, the building, and the librarians, but with this came additional complications. Architects had to reevaluate the layout of the stacks in order to allow for patrons to navigate through independently and also allow for librarians to monitor their activity.
The question of whether to admit young children into the library
was also addressed. Previously, children under twelve were barred from the facility because of fear they would destroy the collections. This ban was lifted in accordance with the library’s goal of increasing education for all people, especially for young people.7 This decision was crucial in helping the library to extend its influence into public education. Development of spaces and collections for children continues to be a focus of the contemporary institution. 6 7
Ibid., 5-7. Ibid., 26-27. 09
In accordance with the continued refinement of the public library, the
ALA Council outlined the Library Bill of Rights in 1939 as basic policies to guide the services of public libraries across the nation. I.
Books and other library resources should be provided for
the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the
community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded
because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing
to their creation.
II.
Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all
points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not
be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
III.
Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their
responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.
IV.
Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned
with resisting abridgment of free expression and free access to ideas.
V.
A person’s right to use a library should not be denied or abridged
because of origin, age, background, or views.
VI.
Libraries that make exhibit spaces and meeting rooms available to
the public they serve should make such facilities available on an
equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or
groups requesting their use.
The ALA has amended these six canons over the years with the most
recent affirmation in 1996.8 The Bill of Rights captures the overall goals that 8
“ALA | Library Bill of Rights,” ALA | Home - American Library Association, http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/intfreedom/ librarybill/index.cfm (accessed October 13, 2011). 10
guide the institution, but only broadly skim the contemporary challenges and changing nature of the modern public library.
As the library entered the 1960s, the old traditions indicative of the
Carnegie library program were replaced with modernist ideals. Midcentury 02.05 Lansing Central Public Library, 1960
libraries wrestled with the stylistic possibilities of the typology. Modernist architects, who designed facilities like the Lansing Central Public Library in Michigan (figures 02.05-06), focused on modularity and flexibility, utilizing rectangular forms as dictated by the truest library module, the book. The library architecture of this time was later criticized because it was monotonous and
02.06 Modular Furnishings at Lansing Central Public Library
inhospitable.9 The disjunction between the architecture and the institution was made more complex by new technology and growing feelings of public apathy toward the institution.
Consequently in 1979, the ALA reworked the identity of the library
as an agency with four spheres of interest, defined as non-traditional education, culture, information, and rehabilitation.10 02.07 Seattle Public Library, Rem Koolhaas, 2005
This updated definition of the
institution characterizes a selective group of community-focused, innovative, and culturally diverse libraries built since the 1980s. One prominent example would be the Seattle Public Library designed by Rem Koolhaas. The building reconfigured the traditional library program into clusters that innovatively layer media, resources, and unique spaces for human interaction.11 Koolhaas’s unique
02.08 “Mixing Chamber”, Seattle Public Library
design lends identity to the library and the city of Seattle (figures 02.07-09). The library embraces new technology, encourages free interaction between librarian and patron in the “mixing chamber,” and works to join people in a community “living room.” This holistic approach is indicative of the modern public library.
02.09 “Living Room”, Seattle Public Library
9 10 11
Shannon Christine Mattern, The New Downtown Library: Designing with Communities, (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 2007), 4-5. Ibid. Ibid., 71-74. 11
Based on historical precedents and writings, the institution has faced
a multiplicity of identity crises since its inception. Each period produced new programs and decisions that have guided the library to clearly define itself as a public, open, staff-dependent, cultural, and multimedia institution. The public library seems to be concurrently undertaking an overhaul of its own identity. The aim of the institution is to remain relevant and its process in doing so involves constant reinvention. Thus, a library focusing its attention on community revitalization and technology integration would be well within the institution’s grasp. The public library has proven its ability to evolve and provide an increasingly responsive facility to the public.
Specifically, the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County
has been operating in some fashion since 1853. The Ohio Common Schools Act authorized every family in the district to have access to one volume through the school library. The act led to the pooling of school library resources under one roof and the eventual development of the downtown library facility.12 These meager beginnings have grown to the ninth largest library system in the United States, which is now composed of 41 branches throughout Cincinnati and Hamilton County.
Recently, the downtown branch, located at Eighth and Vine Street,
aimed to close a perceived gap between the customers and the institution by revamping the library’s service model to meet changing needs. The program, entitled Main Library for the 21st Century (ML/21), was heavily researched and carefully designed. The newly reshuffled facility opened in 2010. The previously subject centered collection was reconfigured into fresh sections, such
12
John Fleischman, Free & Public: One Hundred and Fifty Years at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, 1853-2003, (Wilmington, OH: Orange Frazer Press, 2003), 11. 12
as the “Popular Library,” a “TeenSpace,” and the “TechCenter.”13 The institution in Cincinnati changed its identity to meet customers’ changing needs, and by doing so, they embraced the library’s long-standing tradition of dynamic reimagining.
The defined values, mission, political forces at work on the Public
Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County correspond with those of the ALA and other public libraries across the United States. The general public, specifically the people of Cincinnati, would commission the building project. As a result, each of the values of the PLCH reflects the importance of the public or in marketing language, the customer. This is significant because it is the public who uphold the library as a cultural institution. The core values of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County include open access, customer focus, excellence, growth and innovation, and good stewardship. These five tenets define the role of the institution within the Cincinnati community.
The first value, open access, refers to the cardholder’s unrestricted usage
of the building and the variety of collections and materials found inside. The institution represents the whole of the community, so all are graciously admitted within the library’s doors. The PLCH is committed to connecting their diverse population with the resources they want to utilize, free from judgment and censorship.
Second, in addition to allowing free access, the PLCH highlights
customer focus as a priority. The library considers the impact upon the customer when making decisions and selecting items for their collection.14 13 14
“PLA - Remaking One of the Nation’s Busiest Main Libraries | Public Libraries Online,” PLA - Public Libraries Online, http://www.publiclibrariesonline.org/magazines/featured-articles/ remaking-one-nations-busiest-main-libraries (accessed October 17, 2012). “Mission/Vision/Values.” The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, http://www.cincinnatilibrary.org/info/mission.asp (accessed October 13, 2011). 13
Third, excellence in service is a fundamental value of the institution.
This excellence is reflected in the helpful interactions between librarian and patron. The PLCH strives to unfailingly meet the customers’ expectations and in doing so they instill trust and confidence in the institution.
Fourth, growth and innovation emerge as values. Though the library
has always embraced innovation, it became clear in the late 1970s that the computer was going to change things. The computer has become the leading resource of the modern library. New innovation does not replace traditional resources like the book; rather these machines live among the books. This fact only supports the innovative attitude of the public library, which will continue to guide the institution throughout the 21st century.
The final value is good stewardship. This effectively means to take care
and consciously preside over the resources, information, and the cardholders. The library recognizes the responsibility it has to the community due to the fact that the public funds the institution. This commitment ensures that the library maximizes efficiency while also delivering the best quality of service.15
The values described in the last section were self-outlined by the
PLCH, but they realized it was also necessary to expand upon these values in a referential manner, considering the value the specific user and community find within the institution. The PLCH in conjunction with the marketing and data analysis firm, OrangeBoy, studied cardholders and conducted behavior focused market research to get a better idea of “who” is using the library and “how” they are using it.16 The information has been utilized to formulate a representative sampling of user groups referred to as “Cardholder Clusters”. Each cluster is 15 16
Ibid. “Minutes of the Board of Trustees of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County,” The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, http://www.cincinnatilibrary.org/info/boardminutes201006.pdf (accessed October 21, 2011). 14
identified by a name and described in terms of their primary use and frequency of use.
There are currently ten “Cardholder Clusters” identified by the PLCH
and each one illustrates a group from the community and their specific connection to the institution. “Wave Riders” are patrons interested in current trends and best sellers. They visit the library frequently, sometimes more than once per week. “Robert’s Rulers” attend library events and programs a few times each month. “Wi-Finders” utilize the computer resources a couple of times a week. The other clusters are more self-evident and consist of “Rising Stars” (teens), “The Occasionals,” “Passionate Patrons,” “Connected Families,” “Passionate Pupils,” “Film Fanatics,” and “Traditionalists.”17 The clusters help to illustrate the myriad of users that place value in the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County (figure 02.10).
The thesis project seeks to expand upon the current vision and values
of the institution in relation to both associated identity and architectural expression at the branch level. The values of the institution and the cardholders complement the whole of the PLCH system, but the values of any particular small neighborhood branch such as Avondale are unclear. The resources, funding, cardholder profiles, and technology access vary throughout the system, while the general premise, conditions, and associated identity of the institution remain consistent.
The five core values seem to call for an updated glance at the
institution’s identity at the branch level, which can be facilitated by placing greater importance on the experience, relationship, and connection the library has with its cardholders. Endowing the institution with a particular identity can be accomplished in part by the creation of a branded environment that engages 17
“Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County Cardholder Clusters.” The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. 15
with the conditions of a specific branch and its connected community. Such a brand-driven, tailored environment would place emphasis on the function of the branch library (performance/efficiency) and the its ability to implant symbolic meaning (projection/identity) to act as a catalyst for the community and cardholder (experience/transformation).18 This course of action begins to reconcile the specificity of the neighborhood branch with the consistent value set of the overall institution.
The mission of the PLCH (figure 02.11) states that the role of the library
is, “Connecting people with the world of ideas and information.”19 The word “connecting” is central to the goals of the institution. The term is appropriate in a traditional and contemporary sense. The library has been fostering linkages between its patrons and a wide variety of resources, including librarians, for years. Increasingly as the computer gains prevalence in society, “connecting” can also be important in terms of technology.
Author Neil Gaiman was quoted as saying, “Google can bring you
100,000 answers, a librarian can bring you back the right one.” The librarian serves as the guide of the institution and its resources. Thus, conducting an interview with a librarian was integral to my process of understanding the library’s mission. Holly Varley, the branch manager at the Avondale Branch within the PLCH system, faces the challenges of securing funding, maintaining service to cardholders, and grappling with issues of collection selection and circulation.
Enacting the mission, Varley seeks to meet the needs of the community
of Avondale by offering services and a collection sensitive to their needs. The collection of the PLCH is a “floating collection”, such that returned materials 02.10 A Selection of the Cardholder Clusters
18 19
Anna Klingmann, Brandscapes: Architecture in the Experience Economy, (Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2007), 6-7. Holly Varley, Interview, 13 October 2011. 16
remain at the branch where they were returned, dramatically reducing the time and money spent delivering books to specific branches. No specific branch “owns” any particular materials, so they freely move around the system. Avondale is described as a media-heavy branch because 7 out of 10 items checked out is a video or DVD. Book circulation is low, but overall usage statistics are high because the branch, in conjunction with a Gates Grant, provides 16 public computers. For many of the patrons the Avondale library is their main access point for the Internet; allowing them the ability to check e-mail, search for employment, and remain connected in a digital world.20 The Avondale branch attempts to remain in tune with the PLCH mission because the cardholder’s needs and wants connect directly to the collection and resources provided for them.
The Avondale branch facility (figures 02.12-13) is a Carnegie Library
designed by Cincinnati architect William McLaughlin, and built with 02.11 PLCH Web Banner that provides the Institution’s Mission
gifted funds in 1912. The basement provides a popular community space for Avondale, mostly geared toward programs for children. The building has many spaces initially designed for the community that have been overtaken for storage purposes. The facility’s small size, 11,800 square feet, and restrictive layout are challenges faced by the staff. Despite being a modest branch in the PLCH system, the Avondale branch serves an important role to its community,
02.12 Avondale Branch, Cincinnati, Ohio
remaining a bright spot in a neighborhood that faces a large degree of poverty, average median income of only 11,100 dollars per household.21 Varley explained that the library’s community impact is difficult to illustrate.22 Circulation and
02.13 Community Space in the Basement of the Avondale Branch
20 21 22
Ibid. “Mapping America: Every City, Every Block.” The New York Times. from http://projects.nytimes.com/census/2010/ explorer?ref=censusbureau (accessed on October 19, 2011). Varley, Interview. 17
usage data do not show the qualitative impact a library can have on a community, family, or an individual child.
The challenge of library funding and membership necessitates that
the librarian maintain a hands-on approach both in the library and in the community. Typically, it is he or she who must demonstrate the relevance of the library when compared to other public services such as schools, police, and fire. The PLCH has started a campaign entitled “Be a Star with Your RED Card!” to increase young readership by giving schools an incentive to encourage student library membership. The school that turns in the most “Red Card” applications receives a banner and a chance to win an arts performance provided by the Library and the Greater Cincinnati Alliance for Arts and Education.23 As decreased funding threatens the closure of libraries across the country, programs to encourage literacy and library participation such as this one demonstrate the relevant connection the library provides to the community and the individual.
The leading political issue for any public library, including the PLCH,
is related to how it is funded. The public library’s place in the community is contingent upon funds provided through taxpayer dollars. The public funds, steers, and utilizes the library building. State and local governments rely on tax dollars from their constituencies in order to provide services such as libraries. All residents of Cincinnati would be able to take advantage of the new facility within the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, aligning with the library’s values of open access and equity. The PLCH receives the majority of its funding, over 60% from the Public Library Fund (PLF) of the state of Ohio.24 The state supports 251 library systems in Ohio with the PLF, but state 23 24
Phyllis Hegner. “Public Library’s ‘Be a Star with Your RED Card!’ Campaign Gets Support from the Arts & Metro.” Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. from http://www.cincyartsalliance. org/libraryitem.pdf (accessed on October 16, 2011). “Library Funding.” The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. from http://www.cincinnatilibrary.org/info/funding. html (accessed on October 21, 2011). 18
funding has been decreasing since the 1980s. Grants, personal contributions, and philanthropic gifts make up only a small portion (0.8%) of the library’s revenue.
Many public library systems across the nation including the PLCH
are in jeopardy because of government budget cuts. Another city struggling to maintain its library system is Chicago. Mary Dempsey, commissioner of the Chicago Public Library, wrote a passionate letter in the summer of 2010 in response to a Fox Chicago News story titled “Are Libraries Necessary, or a Waste of Tax Money?” The letter strongly argues the importance of the institution to the city and citizens of Chicago. The commissioner believes the negative library outlook stems from the fact that many people do not understand the overreaching benefits the public library provides to the community.
Dempsey states how the services provided by the public library
contribute to quality of life, encourage life-long learning, and help citizens remain civically engaged. The Chicago Public Library provides English as a second language assistance, job search assistance, homework help for children, literature of all kinds, and free Internet access.25 The list of benefits is long with a multitude of diverse resources and programs that contribute to the good of all people of the community. Her detailed argument enumerates the reasons the institution must remain a force in the civic realm, yet the future of the library in today’s society remains uncertain because of its large monetary costs.
Similarly, the board of trustees of the Public Library of Cincinnati and
Hamilton County faced a shortfall of over ten million dollars unless more funds were leveraged by 2010. However during this time of economic depression, people have been flocking to libraries to take advantage of free resources and 25
“Illinois Budget Crisis | Chicago Public Library Commissioner Reacts to FOX Chicago News’ Story.” Chicago News and Weather | Fox Chicago News. from http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/news/library- taxes-closed-commissioner-reaction-letter-mary-dempsey-20100702 (accessed on October 18, 2011). 19
entertainment. Cincinnati libraries saw a 17% spike in attendance, but state funds continued to drop. The library was in “survival mode,” faced with branch closures, hour reductions, and staffing cuts.
In order to combat this problem, those in support of the library,
politicians and citizens alike, sought a five-year one million dollar levy to be placed on the ballot for the Hamilton County election in the Fall of 2009.26 The voters expressed their desire to fund the institution on the localized county level, passing the levy. In doing so, library circulation and usage were preserved at all branch libraries throughout Hamilton County.
A literate, educated society is one of the largest returns the government
receives from funding institutions like libraries and schools. This return comes at a high cost; tens of millions of dollars are spent each year to support the institution. This causes a contentious political situation and there is a need to better communicate the relevance of the institution to society. A refreshed identity and architectural form of a branch library can begin to explain how the institution of the public library fits into a specific community and contemporary American society as a whole. Through this process, library and community can each become renewed in the eyes of the community members, upping participation and passion for both.
LITERATURE _ USER ORIENTED DESIGN
Additional precedents and selected literature further illustrate the
potentials for redevelopment of the branch library. Libraries Designed for Users by Nolan Lushington and Willis Mills is an essential handbook for those 26
“Administrative Update: Board Votes to Seek a Levy in the Fall – Funds are Needed to Save Our Library.” The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. 20
interested in creating a facility that is heavily focused on the needs and wants of the user. The information is holistic and successfully provides qualifications for humanistic library design.
A basic explanation is provided for the important components for
a public library. Planning the facility includes careful accommodation for individuals users, community functions, location, wayfinding, convenience, and tuned experiential considerations. Design considerations concern a mixture of individual learning styles and requirements predicated in the users.27 Spatial arrangements and treatments should create an attunement to experiential qualities lending variety to the facility, with designated spaces for private reading and studying and also group interaction and consultation.
From an architectural standpoint, designing with the user’s experience
in mind is a significant technique. The authors carefully outline the sequence that comprises the experience a user has when attending their local library. The design is characterized by a series of touch points, such as signage. Arriving at the facility is the initial experience. Method of transportation, parking, surrounding buildings, and landscape all encompass the first impression of the library. Once the user transcends the entrance and opens the doors, the facility presents itself. The user can then chose how to take advantage of the resources housed within the library. The librarian, located centrally, is available to the user.28 Overall, it is important to understand the relevance of this sequence of experiences and how they contribute to the perception of the library.
Library users vary with how they utilize the facility. The depth and
range of these variations must be understood in order to best provide the required services. Some users desire self-service, while others value outside 27 28
Nolan Lushington and Willis N. Mills, Libraries Designed for Users: a Planning Handbook, (Syracuse, NY: Gaylord Professional Publications, 1979), 12-16. Ibid., 19. 21
help from a librarian. Many users visit the library to find factual information to enrich their life; while others primarily seek items of entertainment value. Auditoria are useful to the group experience by providing a setting for a wide range of engaging activities, such as films, music, art, lectures, and drama.29 Evaluating these individual goals and priorities lead the designer into planning and allocating the necessary pieces of architectural program. The improvement plan involves a process of translating needs directly into spaces. The next two precedents successfully utilize the approach of designing for the user and the surrounding community.
29
Ibid., 74-76. 22
community-focused PUBLIC LIBRARY Anacostia Branch Washington D.C., 2010 The Freelon Group
02.15 Exterior View of Anacostia Branch
02.14 Floor Plan of Anacostia Branch
The Anacostia Library is the beginning of a project in Washington D.C. to create architecturally significant, neighborhood specific library branches. Community engagement and openness are achieved by the building’s layout and space allocation with distinctive areas for adults, children, and teenagers. 02.16 Daylit Work Areas of Anacostia Branch
The large, brightly clad roof and overhang whimsically mark the importance of the library as a neighborhood landmark, and local art is showcased throughout the building. In addition to a large pool of 40,000 books and resources, 40 computer stations, and free Wi-Fi, community members have direct access to
02.17 Long Streetlike Axis of Anacostia Branch
a large meeting room designed with their specific community programs and activities in mind.30 The library’s scale and functionality are sensitive to the community of Anacostia. The design creates visibility and offers civic pride within the inner city neighborhood. The strong image created by this library will have a guiding effect upon future branches in the D.C. metro area.
30
Suzanne Stephens, “Anacostia Library, Washington D.C.,” Architectural Record, March 2011, 89. 23
PUBLIC LIBRARY and neighborhood service center Ballard Branch Seattle, Washington, 2005 Bohlin Cwinski Jackson
multipurpose room
service center
community porch surrounds the building and welcomes people into the service center and multipurpose room
02.18 Floor Plan of Ballard Branch
02.19 Exterior View of Ballard Branch
The Seattle Public Library (SPL) has 26 library branches. The central
library located downtown has received a great deal of attention, but the city has kept momentum by working hard to update and enlarge many branch libraries throughout the SPL system. One branch that has made a localized impact is the Ballard Branch, located within a coastal Seattle community. A covered, outdoor community porch welcomes the neighborhood into the branch library, offering a wide array of social services and activities to the surrounding community. The library integrates a connected, yet autonomous neighborhood service center, which provides senior services, passport applications, information about job opportunities, literacy resources, and space for public gatherings. The specific community needs are addressed in concurrence with the traditional functions of the library.
24
02.20 Community Porch of Ballard Branch
COMMUNITY REVITALIZER
Author and media professor Shannon Mattern’s book The New
Downtown Library: Designing with Communities looks further than the individual user to how the public library can impact the whole community. Mattern highlights examples of the library as a community center, urban revitalization tool, and civic icon. A community that values knowledge and places value in the public library becomes more attractive to people or companies who seek a positive environment to raise a family or to conduct business.31 The library’s presence speaks volumes about the vitality of a community.
The text brings forth examples of libraries helping cities through
transition periods by giving shape and character to the urban environment. A library in Queens, New York has a large immigrant population, which prompted the library to cater to their specific needs. The inviting library became a community center that offers adult literacy education, multilingual resources and librarians, and a variety of programs for children.32 The needs of the immigrants prompt the library to incorporate a diverse array of functions.
The library’s role extends further than offering useful community
focused programming. The public library undertakes several responsibilities simultaneously; it responds to community movement patterns, relates to nearby residential, cultural, and commercial developments, and often anchors an area of revitalization.33 This variety of responsibilities and functions encourages the public library to become a hybrid or amalgamation of inter-related activities that revitalize the connected community. The next precedents exemplify the library’s ability to combine and restructure to best serve the community.
31 32 33
Mattern, The New Downtown Library, 36. Ibid., 37-39. Ibid., 43. 25
PUBLIC LIBRARIES and outdoor space Library Parks Medellín, Columbia, 2006-2012 parque biblioteca España- Santo Domingo
1
3
parque biblioteca León de Greiff - La Ladera
parque Explora
4
parque biblioteca Thomas Carrasqualla - La Quintiana
1 parque biblioteca Belén
2
parque biblioteca José Luis Arroyave - San Javier
02.22 Library Park - España - Santo Domingo
02.21 Diagrams showing Transportation and Location to Library Parks
The library system in Medellín, Columbia built 5 library parks in
2
an effort to regenerate poverty-stricken neighborhoods. The indoor/outdoor facilities are situated conveniently along Metro routes and cater to underserviced groups, including low-income people, the elderly, and housewives. The exterior plazas connected to these libraries provide community members with safe places to gather and extend a sense of civic pride to the community at large. The parks
02.23 Library Park - José Luis Arroyave - San Javier
3
are complemented by an expansive array of technology resources, which have significantly closed the ratio of individuals to computers.34 By combining the functions of the library with a public park, two significant community needs were simultaneously met.
34
02.24 Library Park - León de Greiff - La Ladera
4
“’Library Parks’ used to regenerate city,” Library Journal from http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6696684.html (accessed on December 22, 2011). 26
02.25 Library Park - Thomas Carrasqualla La Quintiana
PUBLIC LIBRARIES that hybridize functions Hamilton Public Library and Farmer’s Market Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, 2010 RDH Architects and David Premi Architects
y lib rar
ma
rke
t
02.26 First Level Floor Plan
02.27 Second Level Floor Plan
The public library and farmer’s market in Hamilton, Ontario have been
dwelling on the same premises for over 30 years. A new renovation sought to create a dialogue between the two seemingly dissimilar functions.35 As a result, the functions began to complement one another based upon their playful 02.28 View of Library with Market below
juxtaposition. The market was located on the ground level and the public library on the second level. The two functions are separated by a rated glass partition that is physically separated, but visually it promotes openness and legibility within the hybridized space. The floor plan layouts relate by the arrangement of the market in a matching orientation and direction of the library bookshelves
02.29 View of Market
and carrels above. Small design choices began to communicate the connection and successful mixture of the market and library.
35
“Hamilton Farmer’s Market and Central Public Library,” Architect Magazine, from http://www.architectmagazine.com/communityprojects/hamilton-farmers-market-and-central-public-library.aspx (accessed on December 22, 2011). 27
ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY
The transforming needs of the cardholder come into question when
considering the technology landscape of libraries in the current information age. Buildings, Books, and Bytes: Libraries and Communities in the Digital Age was a report prepared by the Benton Foundation and funded by the Kellogg Foundation. The study data were gathered and analyzed in 1996 by library leaders and citizens in order to project the future of the library institution. Though this date was early in the library’s relationship with the computer, the report provides a reasonable argument for the importance of new media and their larger implications for the future.
According to the text, library leaders see the library of the future as
an institution that combines digital and book collections. The technology of the library ranks highly among library services and is especially important for a group labeled the “information-have-nots.” This group is comprised of citizens who lack adequate technology resources at home, so the library remains a key access point for information and new online media.36 Libraries like the Avondale Branch provide technological resources in order to bridge the information gap, allowing all people, both the haves and the have-nots, equitable access to knowledge gained through digital means.
The discussion of technology’s place in the library continues in Brian
Edwards’s 2009 book Libraries and Learning Centres. The author acknowledges the tenuous state of the institution at present, dismissing any notions of the library’s disappearance by illustrating the ways the library has begun to adapt to new media. Edwards uses the term computer commons, a designated computer area that can account for 40-50% of the floor area of a typical public library. Typically, the computer commons is louder than most areas of the 36
Buildings, Books, and Bytes: Libraries and Communities in the Digital Age, (Washington, D.C.: Benton Foundation, 1996), 4. 28
library due to typing and talking. The specific requirements of these spaces include providing central lighting that limits direct sunlight, secured technology stations, appropriate location due to increased noise level, and a wireless network that extends throughout the facility.37 The author highlights specific design considerations, but he also considers the larger implications of increasing the technology and its effects the institution. 1990s
decrease in required workspace
2000s
2009
computer shrinks; increase in portability
future. . .
even smaller; touch screen
work surface becomes the computer
02.30 Progression of the size of Personal Computing Devices (abridged)
The information technology and its allocated space blur the function
and identity of the traditional library. The sole means of attaining information is no longer limited to flipping through volumes of encyclopedias, books, and journals. Digital collections and databases allow for quick and convenient information retrieval, requiring space both to foster their usefulness and mark their importance. The constant evolution of digital resources (increased portability and touch screen capabilities) suggests the modern library must be highly flexible; this is depicted in figure 02.30.
The flexibility of the modern library is coupled with a heightened
need for easily accessible support staff. The Seattle Public Library identified and fulfilled this need by creating the “mixing chamber�, a space designed for the communication between librarians, patrons, and information managers.38 Concentrating the resources both technological and human gives the patron freedom to explore, but provides an open forum for 37 38
Brian Edwards, Libraries and Learning Resource Centres, (Oxford, UK: Architectural Press, 2009), 73. Ibid. 253-257. 29
important questions. The next precedent expands upon the idea of gathering users to maximize their familiarity with new forms of library resources.
PUBLIC LIBRARY’S use of mobility to spread resources Digital Bookmobile United States, 2011 OverDrive
Carrying on the tradition of the mobile library, the Digital Bookmobile
tours nationally and promotes downloadable library services. The design
02.31 Exterior of Digital Bookmobile
is compact, developed within a 74-foot, 18-wheel tractor-trailer. The spaces within the Digital Bookmobile include five interactive stations that provide an immersive experience. The spaces accommodate the exploration of eBooks, video, digital collection, and audiobooks. Also, an interactive gadget gallery is included, which allows the public to familiarize themselves with the new tech
02.32 Plan Layout of Bookmobile
devices and the library’s digital collections.39 The mobile nature of the high-tech bookmobile conveniently brings information and digital media to communities that struggle with lack of digital access.
02.33 View of Gadget Gallery
SUMMARY Based on this background research, the following principles will guide the development and inform the design of the Avondale Branch Library. 1
A successful public library system needs to focus not only on the
central branch, but also the smaller neighborhood branches, which
ought to strengthen the presence of the “brand” in specific
communities.
39
“About Us,” Digital Bookmobile from http://www.digitalbookmobile. com/About.aspx (accessed on December 21, 2011). 30
2
User convenience and the needs of the specific cardholder
are of prime importance. This branch should fully understand
and cater to the typical Avondale cardholder to ease and make
enjoyable the activities of daily life.
3
Focus on the Avondale Community is a top priority in the
design. The overall community guides the branch to become
a multi-functional institution centered around adding vitality
to the Avondale neighborhood.
4
The importance of technology integration. Groundbreaking ideas
like the digital bookmobile aid in the development of Avondale’s
digital collection and technological engagement. Cardholders,
support staff, librarians, and technology combine to make digital
media a part of everyday life.
5
Remaining aligned with the vision and values of PLCH.
The system as a whole guides the Avondale branch library, but there is
inherent flexibility that allows the branch to find autonomy that is
representative of their specific clientele.
Chapter 3 discusses the conditions of the Avondale community and expands upon literature and precedents relating to the topic of urban place.
31
03 URBAN IDENTITY SITE AND SURROUNDING CONTEXT A - Southern Baptist Church
The urban environment surrounding the Avondale Branch is plagued
by residential segregation, a lack of convenient resources, and a tumultuous history. To fully understand the complicated situation faced by the Avondale community, this chapter will explore historical implications, current conditions, B - SBC Education Addition
relevant literature, and site potentials. Below is a map of the proposed site vicinity with corresponding images meant to give a familiarity to the site and surrounding context. The major roadway is Reading Road. Two large churches are adjacent to the site as well as two commerical facilties: a convenience store
C - Lexington Market
called the Lexington Market and a shopping plaza called the Avondale Town Center. The existing library is indicated in red.
D - Avondale Town Center B A
C D
03.01 Map of Proposed Site with corresponding images (above)
33
HISTORIC CONTEXT
Avondale is a neighborhood with a long history full of many periods
marked by tumultuous change. Development began in the 1830s as a few Cincinnati businessmen built homes in Avondale due to its close proximity to the downtown business district. The people who initially settled in Avondale were wealthy Cincinnatians, who built large homes on spacious lots throughout
03.02 Location of Avondale within Greater Cincinnati
the neighborhood. The Village of Avondale was incorporated in 1864, at this point the community was already weakening from problems like burglaries, vagrants, public drunkenness, and brawling. One solution was reached in 1896 when Avondale was annexed, officially becoming part of Cincinnati. This meant improved police and fire protection, which successfully reduced crime, making Avondale a pleasant home for its residents once again.1 It was during this time that the Avondale branch library was built.
The Avondale Branch is a Carnegie library that opened its doors 1913.
The 11,800 square foot building is Spanish Renaissance style with hollow tile structure and applied stucco. The main functions housed in the facilities include a room for children, a room for adults, a study room, and an auditorium on the basement level that once seated 140 patrons.2 The building was renovated in the
03.03 The Avondale Branch as pictured in The Cincinnati Times-Star on February 28, 1913.
1960s to update the mechanical systems, to repair the roof and gutters, and to complete overall maintenance on the facility. The library remains aesthetically unchanged despite the volatile nature of the surrounding community of Avondale.
In the early 20th Century, the demographics of the population were
primarily Protestants of German and English descent. Avondale became more 1 2
“Our Community,” Avondale Community Council from http://www. avondalecommunitycouncil.org/community.lasso (accessed on November 5, 2011). “New Branch Library for Avondale,” The Cincinnati Times-Star, February 28, 1913, 24. 34
03.04 Design sketch of the Avondale Branch by Cincinnati architect James McLaughlin.
Andrew Carnegie Avondale Branch 1913
Avondale Community Mural, ArtWorks 2011
Former Synagogue 1925
White Flight 1945-1965
1968 Riot
Oscar Robertson Avondale Town Center, Trauth Hardware 1983
03.05 Aerial Photograph highlighting significant historic influences upon the site
diverse over time. The streetcar lines permitted many low income Cincinnatians to gain access to the village. At this time, there was a relatively small black population, about 8 to 10% of the population. During the 1920s until the end of World War II, about 60% of the population was Jewish.
Long time residents began to rapidly move out of Avondale after the
war, making way for new arrivals and greatly changing the character of the area. The location of the population shifts can be attributed to white flight. Realtors were participating in blockbusting, which is a practice of convincing white residents that black residents were moving into their neighborhood. By doing so they drove the properties values down in Avondale, manipulating the white people to relocate to newly developing areas further from the city. The lower property values meant the less affluent could afford to own or rent properties in the area. Avondale became predominantly a black neighborhood through this process during the early 1960s. Institutions such as synagogues or schools that were once owned by Jewish residents transformed by new residents.3 3
“Our Community.� 35
By 1956, South Avondale was classified as blighted and in need of
rehabilitation by city planners. As rehabilitation proceeded, most of the effort was focused towards the University of Cincinnati and area hospitals, with little consideration given to the residents and housing stock of Avondale. This escalated frustration among residents and contributed to violent actions in the late 1960s that left a huge impact upon the community. Tension with police lead to the riots in 1968. The damage was extensive with three million dollars of property destroyed, two people dead, and hundreds placed under arrest. The community of Avondale has still not fully recovered due to the lack of a strong redevelopment plan and monetary resources. LOCAL IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS
Improving Avondale has been a slow process, but groups like the
Avondale Redevelopment Corporation (ARC) have begun to make an impact. In 1983, Avondale Town Center, a strip mall style development on the corner of Reading Road and Forest Avenue, was opened. The modest project was scaled down from previous plans to include a handful of retail and dining establishments. The ARC also aided in the development of the Lexington Market, The Greater Cincinnati Urban League Office Building, and various housing projects to increase the quality of living for Avondale residents. The community of Avondale has also formed groups like the Avondale Community Council (ACC) to work on problems related to unemployment, business district stabilization, and community cohesion.4
The urban neighborhood has developed a variety of recent projects to
continue revitalization efforts in the area. A LEED certified affordable housing 4
Ibid. 36
03.06 Mural at Forrest and Reading, 2011
development, Forest Square Senior Apartments was built in 2010 along the Burnet Avenue corridor. Also, an interactive learning facility is being built on Reading Road 1.3 miles South of the public library.
Despite the recent efforts to revitalize Avondale, the community still
lacks a few key resources that would improve the quality of life for residents. Below is a map (figure 03.07) showing resources relative to the location of the library site. The most crucial community needs at this time are:
A Market - Avondale is located in a food desert, a term used to
describe communities without access to grocery stores.
Centralized Transportation Hub / Sidewalks - 60-70% of
community members do not have regular access to a vehicle, so
walkability and public transportation are important considerations.
Parks / Open Space - Safe places to gather and enjoy the outdoors.
The next section includes literature and precedents that will illuminate potentials for the urban environment and identity of the Avondale neighborhood.
03.07 Resource Inventory of the Avondale Community
37
LITERATURE _ URBAN PLACEMAKING
Defining the identity of a place is not a clear process, but one of individual
ideation and complex perception. For example, as an observer walks down the street their mind is bombarded with competing imagery. Urban planner and author, Kevin Lynch, recognizes this challenge of finding identity and meaning
path
of a place in his book, Image of the City. The image refers to the perception the city dweller has of his or her environment. Lynch is sensitive to the notion that the mental image a citizen has for their city is unique. The image is constructed from a two way process between the place and the observer. The mental picture or identity accrues over time, allowing for the observer to constantly select, organize,
edge
and endow the activity and imagery occurring in the environment with meaning. Lynch also highlights the group image, which is a model maintained by likeminded people that hold a place in common, such as residents of a neighborhood for example.5
The individual elements of identity,path,edge,node,district,and landmark
node
(figure 03.08), were characterized by Lynch’s work. Lynch derives these elements by studying a range of cities, including Boston, Jersey City, and Los Angeles. He believes these elements can be quantified and analyzed to explain the public image of a place. A path is a channel traveled by an observer, perceived through movement. An edge marks a boundary. Nodes serve as strategic points used for
districts
a variety of functions, such as gathering and meeting. Districts are sections of the city. Landmarks are points of reference defined by a physical object.6 These elements are placed and layered atop one another to create the identity of familiar places all over the world. These are the elements that can be enhanced to increase a city’s legibility in the minds of its residents. 5 6
landmark
Kevin Lynch, The Image of the City, (Cambridge, MA: MIT, 1960), 6-7. Ibid., 47-48. 38
03.08 Lynchian Elements - Paths, Edges, Nodes, Districts, and Landmark
The image, comprised of the elements described above is difficult to
characterize due to its shifting nature. Lynch struggles to illustrate this concept: he discusses the multiplicity of overlapping and interrelated images that observers experience. The author relates that the image is imprecise, difficult to control, and just a model of reality. Inherently, the eyes can fool the observer. A variety of images must be gathered in disparate conditions, in the day, in the night, during hard rains, from moving vehicles, and while walking.7 These varying perspectives contribute to the overall image adding to the complexity and sometimes continuity of a place’s identity.
The most essential concept communicated by Lynch is imageability,
which involves the quality and capacity an object has to evoke an image for the observer. This term offers insights to how people perceive their surroundings. Imageability, also considered appearance, legibility, and visibility, is an essential concept for architects and city planners. Building an environment simultaneously builds an image. The image gives continuity to the user’s experience of the place. It is their memory, their feelings, and their emotions that weave together to comprise their relationship to a place. Lynch reminds designers to consider the sensitivity of their actions in relation to the human observer’s perception of place.8
The book Genius Loci: Towards a Phenomenology of Architecture by
Christian Norberg-Schulz is concerned with the spirit of a place. The term genius loci is a Roman concept meaning the basic character or essence of a location. It refers to what a place is and what it wants to be.9 Norberg-Schulz explores the phenomenological qualities of place as imperative to understanding one’s environment. 7 8 9
Ibid., 85-86. Ibid., 9-13. Christian Norberg-Schulz, Genius Loci: Towards a Phenomenology of Architecture, (New York: Rizzoli, 1980), 18. 39
Similarly to Lynch, Norberg-Schulz considers the environmental
components to be what provides human perception and understanding of place. He remarks how Lynch’s idea of imageability and orientation describe the character of places in limited way and miss the larger concepts of dwelling and belonging.10 To dwell or reside indicates one’s familiarity or identification with that place. The dweller begins to associate themselves with that place because their own sense of belonging is how they perceive and understand the place’s characteristics. The spirit of the place and the individual become intertwined; this notion will provide understanding of identity within the context of the specific people and place of Avondale.
The discussions within these pieces of literature seem to float from
general place to the specific urban environment. These authors make many arguments to substantiate the importance of placemaking in the city. The acts of orienting, belonging, and dwelling are usually accomplished without much conscious thought, leading to the question: can design can harness these principles to manipulate a person’s instinctual understanding of place or its connected identity? If so, the designer must critique his or her own preconceptions in order to evoke a spirit or identity that can engage the larger group of residents and observers. This is a prime challenge for designing and responding to complex, collective urban situations. Bernard Tschumi conquered a challenge of this proportion by layering separate built elements to create a collective identity in the next precedent, an expansive, multi-dimensional park at the edge of Paris, called La Villette.
10
Ibid., 20. 40
IDENTITY spread throughout an URBAN landscape Parc De La Villette Paris, France, 1987 Bernard Tschumi Arranged on a structured grid, 26 follies or small structures punctuate a 135-acre park in Paris. La Villette is a series of juxtapositions, superimpositions, and permutations created by winding promenades, thematic gardens, and a variety of architectural elements. The follies, located at nodes or points of intersection, fulfill different programmatic requirements with a similar language. A 36 by 36 foot red cube is articulated according to its usage and the desired look of each building.11 The park’s identity is rich and well defined by bold colors, unique forms, and a multiplicity of functions. La Villette is an example of an urban park that defies convention and delights those who visit. The techniques of La Villette, specifically, a dispersed ordering strategy that brings visual order and identity into play across wide areas, can be applied to urban developments that lack cohesion and appropriate structure. 03.09 Axonometric depicting Promenades, Overlying Grid, Gardens, and Follies
03.10 View of Follies Placed in the Landscape
03.11 Seperate Built Components of Follies
11
Gilles de Bure, Bernard Tschumi, (Boston, MA: Birkhäuser: 2008), 56-66. 41
URBAN INTERACTIONS
Writer and activist, Jane Jacobs, elucidates where life occurs in the city,
discussing both the simple and complex issues of urban life and renewal in New York City. Jacobs’s work in The Death and Life of Great American Cities was written in 1961, but the issues still apply to contemporary urban problems.
The construct of the urban neighborhood is discussed in depth,
shedding light on both positive and negative qualities. In many cases the good life in a neighborhood is perpetuated by the creation of touchstones like the school, parks, libraries, and attractive housing. Jacobs argues that these things are important, but if the vitality of the city is scattered around many neighborhoods the wholeness of the place is destroyed.12 It brings up many questions of how sprawling neighborhoods can pervert the overall qualities and life in urban areas. Despite the negative effects, this condition occurs in most American cities, so effort must be made to link theses satellite neighborhoods and assist them in remaining connected to the city proper, as well as sustaining their own internal richness of life, use, and density.
Moving from the structural layout of cities to their inherent qualities,
Jacobs brings the ideas of informal interaction to the forefront. She rightly states that informal sidewalk contact is overlooked, but it is a vibrant aspect of urban life.13 A well-utilized sidewalk is more than just a path of pedestrian transit to Jacobs; she saw it as an environment to communicate and for the neighborhood to share and build feelings of togetherness. The structure and character of sidewalk life has merit that, if harnessed, could supplement a civic institution like a library. The sidewalk’s adjacency to the library could serve as a point of impetus, parlaying the sense of community on the sidewalk to 12 13
Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, (New York: Random House, 1961), 147-151. Ibid. 76. 42
the interior of the building and vice versa. The next precedent explores how an urban plaza can engage and welcome city dwellers into the adjacent built environment. URBAN sidewalk and streetscape create TRAVERSABLE PUBLIC SQUARE Marugame Station Plaza Marugame, Kagawa, Japan, 1991 Peter Walker and Partners
03.12 View of Inokoma Museum from Marugame Station
03.13 Plan of Marugame Station Plaza
The large plaza outside Marugame Station was conceived as a gateway
to the city of Marugame and a showcase of its identity. It connects the station with the Inokoma Museum using distinctive paving patterns, a traffic dampening water feature, and a spiral of interesting boulders. The large outdoor space harnesses interaction and walkability to direct users to the museum.14 The plaza’s ability to provide a seamless connection between both sides of the roadway is an element that can be applied to the site in Avondale. Reading Road does not have to serve as a boundary, rather the street and sidewalk can be integrated into the design.
14
Francisco Asensio Cerver and Michael Webb, Redesigning City Squares and Plazas, (New York, NY: Arco for Hearst International, 1997), 136. 43
THE ROLE OF THE THIRD PLACE
Another of the crucial environments for the city dweller is the third
place. People spend the majority of their time at work and home, the proverbial first and second place, but the third place is the informal heart of public life.15 Ray Oldenburg, an urban sociologist, characterizes the need and importance of these informal settings in his book, The Great Good Place. A CafĂŠ, community center, salon, neighborhood bar, and library are all prime examples of third places. The third place is a gathering place of informal life, safe from daily problems and free of worry.
One crucial quality of the third place is its neutrality. No visitor gains
more ownership over any others, and no one is required to serve as host. In addition, the place is comfortable and extends a feeling of welcome that nurtures relationships among visitors. The third place is also considered a leveler, providing a discernible sense of equality for all patrons, despite their race, class, and religion. The setting is inclusive and no membership is necessitated upon entry; the visitor is measured by the character of their personality.16 Oldenburg states the importance of these interactions and he successfully highlights the benefits of the third place to community life.17
To join the conversation at the third place and become a regular is a
valuable experience for the individual. So much of life is routine and the third place offers novelty that people desire. The third place stimulates interaction due to the diversity found within, the structure is loose and unregimented, and the conversation is interesting, not mundane.18 These factors keep the visitor coming and over time they contribute to the community found within the third 15 16 17 18
Ray Oldenburg, The Great Good Place: CafĂŠs, Coffee Shops, Community Centers, Beauty Parlors, General Stores, Bars, Hangouts, and How They Get You through the Day, (New York: Paragon House, 1989), 14. Ibid., 21-23. Ibid., 33. Ibid., 45-46. 44
place. The third place is a world of its own making, the architecture does not define it. The relationships and interaction provide it with a sense of place.
Oldenburg emphasizes the importance of the third place, but he did
face criticism to his theorem: a colleague of Oldenburg remarked that important events are being overlooked as people lounge around in coffee shops and bars. This notion belittles the importance of the third place due to the informality. However, the interpersonal benefits extend beyond the third place and can have political and sociological impacts on a community. The tenets of democracy can be found in the third place, free speech and the ability to gather and freely express oneself.19 Third places promotes interaction with no need to make it a requirement because it is built in, essential to the institution.
The works of Jane Jacobs and Ray Oldenburg convey insights into
the importance of informal urban settings. Both authors have idealized views of city living that seem almost unattainable given the conditions of many of our cities and neighborhoods. Oldenburg’s ideas of the necessity of the third place in urban life seem almost romantic in contemporary modern society. In many formerly thriving urban environments, home and work have moved to the suburbs, thus, leaving third places nearly vacant. However, this does not seem to hold true for libraries. Branch libraries remain a successful place to gather people informally in the manner observed by Oldenburg, though they can be intensified with the addition of other activities. The next precedent explores an outdoor library as an informal public space meant for a variety of activities including congregating.
19
Ibid., 66, 80. 45
URBAN library as THIRD PLACE Salbke Bookmark - Open Air Library Magdeburg, Germany, 2009 KARO Architects r nstedte Kroppe
Street
stage
bo wa s ll / ing eat
terrace
bke Sal Alt
ok
Blumenberger Street
lawn
youth corner
03.15 View of Open Air Library
03.14 Plan of Salbke Bookmark - Open Air Library
The Salbke Bookmark is a library that inhabits what was once a public square in Magdeburg, a shrinking city in former East Germany.20 The prominent library provides enclosure and privacy while also remaining unconstrained and open to the elements. The built element becomes flexible urban furniture that allows patrons to relax, hold meetings, read books, or perform. The zones of the library platform include a stage, an open lawn, a small nook called youth corner, a terraced seating element, and a thickened wall that serves as a book repository. The library fulfills Oldenburg’s requirements of a third place. The environment provided is neutral, comfortable, and welcoming of many different types of people. The Salbke Bookmark provides a place to interact and relax that
03.16 Facade Enclosure of Open Air Library
is free from the heavy constraints of home and work. 20
Judith Carrera, Magda Anglès, and Torres Rosa Puig, In Favour of Public Space: Ten Years of the European Prize for Urban Public Space, (Barcelona: CCCB, 2010), 55.
46
03.17 Built-in Seating
SUMMARY
Avondale and the branch library can form a stronger symbiosis through
site engagement. The principles related to urban identity that support the design of the branch library include: 1
Follow the guidelines and principles of the third place. Site the
library in a neutral location with a variety of functions that provides
respite from the responsibilities of home and work.
2
Utilize both indoor and outdoor spaces. The Salbke Bookmark
library is a good example of an outdoor site that is flexible and open
to the community.
3
Engage the sidewalk and street – eliminate unnecessary parking and
increase density of positive activity generators. Being set along
Reading Road provides an opportunity for the library due to the
high volume of traffic that traverses the site. Layering the types of
movement makes for an engaging journey both by foot and by car.
4
Structure activities and disperse site elements to create a strong
visual sense of order and identity. Similarly to La Villette, built
elements are organized, while still allowing for diversity and interest.
5
The node and landmark are the Lynchian elements highlighted as
prime opportunities for interaction or special events on the site.
These site strategies become integral as branding and program are tackled on chapters 4 and 5.
47
04 BRANDED ENVIRONMENTS
The branded environment is the last key element to the design approach
of this thesis. In the 1990s, brands and branding began to carry negative connotations due to the overwhelming state of product advertising. So the first step is to define these concepts in their purest form, dismissing misconceptions and aligning with the project’s intent. Looking at The Oxford English Dictionary, a brand is described as a mark of ownership or identification. Whether it is burnt onto the hides of cattle or a trademark placed on a package, the action of branding impresses the item with importance, distinguishing it from the rest. Marketers and designers harness this elevated importance and unique identity 04.01 iPhone Branded with the Apple Logo
to sell products, environments, and even lifestyles, but this project explores how a cultural institution, specifically the public library, can be promoted using similar principles and techniques.
04.02 Popular Brands
BRANDING CONCEPTS DEFINED
The definitions of important principles that will be utilized throughout
this chapter are outlined below. These terms were adapted from Alina Wheeler’s book, Designing Brand Identity: An Essential Guide for the Whole Branding Team.
Brand – a company’s use of imagery, language, and associations that
help customers choose from an array of choices.
Branding – a disciplined process used to build awareness and
customer loyalty.
49
Brand Touchpoints – opportunities to increase awareness in a
brand; this can include websites, signage, packaging, products,
experiences, environments, and social media.
Brand Identity – a representation of the product, place, or experience
that can be seen, heard, held, or touched.
Brand Strategy – unified identity, to which all behavior, action, and
communication are aligned; builds upon the overall vision, values, and
culture of the brand.
Emotional Branding – a dynamic part of the branding process that
requires the use of anthropology, imagination, sensory experience; a
visionary approach that harnesses the power of emotions.
Authenticity – self-knowledge and making decisions that are
congruent with this self-knowledge.
Flexibility – allowing for a singular idea or theme to be adapted for
different uses.1
The final important term is Branded Environment, which begins with
identifying the unique “DNA” characteristics of a brand and then integrating them into brand expressions, experiences, and environments that parlay the power of the senses into a 2D or 3D setting that meaningfully expresses the brand.2 This concept was formed by Eva Maddox, a pioneer in the development of brand strategy and design principal at Perkins and Will. The following precedents focus on Maddox’s ability to create an environment that powerfully exudes a brand and its connected intentions, loyalties, and emotions.
1 2
Alina Wheeler, Designing Brand Identity: an Essential Guide for the Entire Branding Tea, Hoboken, N.J: Wiley, 2009. “Branded Environments,” Perkins + Will from http://www.perkinswill. com/expertise/branded-environments.html (accessed on December 24, 2011). 50
BRANDED ENVIRONMENTS that engage Interior of Richard E. Lindner Center University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio, 2006 Perkins + Will
04.03 Graphics of the Lindner Center
04.06 Floor Layout and Section of Lindner Center
Eva Maddox and her team created an experience for those who walk into the Richard E. Lindner Center. The color red overwhelms and surrounds the patron as they explore the University of Cincinnati athletic history that permeates the walls of the facility. Timelines, trophies, and interactive panels communicate the long tradition and excellence of the many of Cincinnati’s athletic programs, 04.04 View of Interior Staircase
including basketball, football, and track and field. The building’s central atrium serves as museum, archive, welcome center, and recruiting vehicle.3 These functions all focus on creating a positive set of experiences to foster the patron’s connection to the athletic and educational programs at the University of Cincinnati.
04.05 View of UC Logo on Ground Floor
3
“University of Cincinnati, Richard E. Lindner Center,” Perkins + Will from http://www.brookviewtechnologies.com/videopress/ UC%20Lindner%20Center.pdf (accessed on December 24, 2011). 51
BRANDED ENVIRONMENTS as immersive display Antron Resource Center Showroom within the Merchandise Mart Chicago, Illinois, 2010 Perkins + Will introduction to the brand
creation of fibers
colo r
manu factu ring
product application
produc tion
entrance
how it becomes carpet
m at er ial s
e or m
rity ilia fam
greater possibilities
dying technology
04.08 Entrance to the Antron Environment
04.07 Diagram of Antron Resource Center
A showroom for Chicago interior design tradeshow NeoCon, Antron displayed their carpet fibers in a fun manner that allowed the patron to delve into the production process itself. The sequence of spaces relied heavily on visual and tactile elements to describe the product. The patron enters a world that allowed them to select colors, feel samples, and learn the benefits of new carpet fiber technology. This branded environment transformed Antron’s product into more than a simple material specification, making the carpet selection an important lifestyle decision the interior designer makes for their client.
LITERATURE_EMOTIONAL BRANDING
A deeper study of the branding literature will furthur to narrow the
type of branded environment that would be appropriate for the Avondale branch library. The first reading takes a look at the origins of branding to better understand its criticism and also the potential of many branding techniques. Naomi Klein published No Logo in 2000 in response to corporate globalization and oversaturation of brand and business in daily life. Klein points out that brands began as informational tools about new products. The first ads showed 52
04.09 Carpet FIber Display in the Antron Resource Center
how these new inventions like the car, could change the way a person lives. Brand personalities like Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben were utilized to ensure trust in corporations as they replaced the need for small local shopkeepers.4 Brands became concerned with establishing an identity for themselves.
Brand relationships became so integral to selling goods that eventually
marketing became more important than manufacturing as functional differences among products diminished.5 As a result, brands have overloaded the culture, using similar pervasive strategies to compete for market share. This contributes to the negative impacts of globalization, giving less opportunity to small businesses and individual expression.
Despite the negative impacts, Klein asserts that brands like Nike,
Apple, and Starbucks have become cultural touchstones, surpassing their role as simply businesses. The brand is no longer just representing a product, but a lifestyle.6 Brands retain customers by offering more than just a good or a service, but a reliable and trusted experience that keeps them returning. The experience instills positive emotions and loyalty. Despite the negative effects of globalization, the way brands can strategically create these connections is a part of how people align themselves–what they buy, where they go, how they see themselves, and what decisions they make. The importance of brands cannot be denied due to influence on the way people live.
The book Lovemarks by Kevin Roberts continues this positive sentiment
by celebrating brands. Roberts, author, longtime brand manager, and CEO of worldwide advertising firm Saatchi and Saatchi, asks the question on page 31, “What comes after brands?� They believe the answer is lovemarks. The firm is grounded in the notion that popular products transcend physical form and 4 5 6
Naomi Klein, No Logo (Hammersmith, London: Flamingo, 2000), 5. Ibid., 4. Ibid., 21. 53
become cherished entities or lovemarks that customers associate with feelings of love and respect. The brands or lovemarks they generate include favorites like Toyota, Cheerios, Guinness, and T-mobile, and offer a multitude of lessons of how brands can go beyond the conventional by encouraging strong personal connections.
In Lovemarks, the author stresses what powers human beings and their
actions. Emotion and emotional connection often assist people in making choices. People use their mind and their heart in the decision making process, that is why harnessing emotion is crucial.7 A bowl of Cheerios is an ordinary breakfast, but for someone with an emotional connection to the brand from childhood it may conjure emotions like joy and comfort. The heart makes the selection. The emotion felt for a product or service is a powerful tool for brand managers and designers.
In addition to emotional appeal, a brand must show respect to gain
customer loyalty. Accountability, excellent service, solid design, trustworthiness, and remaining connected to values are attributes of respectful brands. Service is an opportunity where transactions morph into loyal relationships.8 A person can brew coffee at home, but the dependable service and product at Starbucks elicits value that keeps them returning for a latte. Service based brands are sensitive to this fact and design each point of interaction to reflect positively on the brand.
Lessons from branding can be gleaned to instill an institution
or business with the characteristics that are deserving of a devoted patronage. A successfully developed brand can help to illustrate its own place in someone’s lifestyle. For example, the library’s identity 7 8
Kevin Roberts, Lovemarks: the Future beyond Brands (Brooklyn: PowerHouse, 2006), 68. Ibid., 91. 54
can elicit the emotional connection to place and help the patron become more than a visitor to the institution, rather a contributor to its culture. For example, Apple Inc. offers more than high-tech, welldesigned products. The following precedents explore how Apple and Starbucks create a two-way dialogue between their businesses and their committed customer bases.
ENVIRONMENT fostering product experience Apple Store New York City, New York, 2002 Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
04.10 First Level Floor Plan
04.11 Second Level Floor Plan
The Apple experience is inclusive of the research
conducted before purchase, the buying process, and the support provided afterward. The environment and the product relate directly to one another with their shared clean lines and minimalistic design. Their flagship store in Manhattan utilizes a floating glass staircase to communicate the brand’s sleek modernity. The store allows patrons to interact and touch products like iPads and MacBooks by locating them on approachable tables placed throughout the 04.12 Interior Views of Retail Environment
space. The genius bar and auditorium are both locations that allow for customer
55
education and personalized troubleshooting. The experience has many unique points of contact, the Mac geniuses floating throughout the store, their intuitive website, and the product itself. Each point of contact fosters the relationship between the customer and the Apple brand. Building this loyalty and trust is the main force behind the company’s lasting success.
ENVIRONMENT fostering service experience Starbucks Coffee Company
congregate order meet
talk interact
work read
04.13 Starbucks Logo
04.14 Typical Floor Plan
04.15 Diagrams about Customers and Product
More than just lattes are served up at Starbuck’s Coffee. Starbucks is
primarily about experience. As an essential third place, Starbucks has gained popularity because many coffee drinkers seek to enjoy their personalized beverage in an atmosphere full of community. The experience is designed so that receiving a warm cup of coffee from a smiling barista is the first of many
04.16 Baristas providing service at Starbucks
positive interactions within the Starbucks environment. There are three basic zones within this popular coffee shop – ordering/service, interaction/meeting, and working/reading. The service model of Starbucks allows customers to make a variety of choices, what to drink, who to talk to, where to sit. The customer chooses to drink, talk, and work in a communal environment with coffee made to order just for them.
56
04.17 Graphic that communicates the Brand Identity
PLACE BRANDING
Further exploring the way brands aid in placemaking,Robert Govers and
Frank Go wrote about the topic in their book Place Branding. They define place identity in terms of the essential components, which are predefined structural elements (location and history), semi-static physical elements (size, appearance, and inner mentality), and coloring elements (behavior, communication, and symbolism).9 These three component groups shape the branded environment.
Essays from City Branding: Image Building & Building Images
characterizes place branding’s role in city life. Berci Florian’s essay “The City as a Brand” explains the ability of the city to market itself on many levels. There is a need for cities to have soulful depth, originality, and distinct character. These qualities lead the city to have a hold over people’s emotions, contributing to feelings of belonging.10 There is a unique chemistry between the people interacting in a place. This chemistry can be harnessed by carefully programming the architecture to foster useful interactions.11 The architecture can layer spaces, to create a hybridized identity or brand for the building or surrounding city.
Michael Speak’s essay “Individualization without identity” furthers the
thoughts of Florian. Speaks sees problems with a top-down branding approach, where the city or place tells the people what it wants to be. This removes individual expression and causes the people to become only passive members in the process. A brand created from the bottom-up means harnessing the members of the city to participate in making the identity.12 This activates powerful feelings of ownership among the residents and causes the brand to 9 10 11 12
Govers, Robert, and Frank Go, Place Branding: Glocal, Virtual and Physical Identities, Constructed, Imagined and Experienced (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009), 50. City Branding: Image Building & Building Images (Rotterdam: NAi, 2002), 20. Ibid., 24. Ibid., 52. 57
respond to their needs. Similarly, the next built example is a brand and library system redesigned by community members from the bottom up. comprehensive rebranding begins with ENVIRONMENT Free Library of Philadelphia Lovett Memorial Branch Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Community renovation begun in 2011
The city of Philadelphia’s library system all centers around one word.
Free. This descriptor was incorporated into the library’s name during a brand initiative aimed to define the institution’s relevance in uncertain economic
04.18 Branding for the Free Library of Philadelphia
times. The term is flexible, making the refreshed library and its programming synonymous with the Free Library of Opportunity for job seekers, the Free Library of Prosperity for the budget conscious, and the Free Library of Big Ideas and Inspiration for the adventurous.13 The website allows for easy exploration of a multitude of topics connected with the library. The terms “find”, “explore”, and “ask” provide guidance for the website. The online browser highlights programs, history, and neighborhood info for each of the 52 branches. Currently, many
04.19 Interactive Web Banner for the Free Library of Philadelphia
of the branches are slated for redesign to integrate fresh concepts. The Lovett Branch currently has an outdoor space that the community, architects, and library organizers are planning to convert into a “porch”, keeping in tune with the Free Library of Community principles. A story ring, an urban plaza with space for concessions and food trucks, and a lawn amphitheater are all potentials that will aggrandize the Lovett Branch by providing a vibrant space free to all community members.14 13 14
“Free Library of Philadelphia 2009 Annual Report,” Free Library of Community from http://www.freelibrary.org/annualreport/ annualreport09/annualreport2009.pdf (accessed on December, 28, 2011). “Lovett Library Park Renovation Plan Comes Into Focus,” Mt. Airy Patch from http://mtairy.patch.com/articles/ (accessed on December 30, 2011). 58
04.20 Outdoor Space at Lovett Branch to be redesigned into Urban Plaza
SENSORY BRANDING
The final reading in this chapter elaborates on the elements required
to create a branded environment that engages the mind and the senses. The book entitled Brand Sense by noted author Martin Lindstrom, focused on 04.21 Chart showing Sensory Importance
branding and consumer behavior, describes how brands extends beyond logos. Lindstrom believes that the utilization of the senses creates a stronger branded environment. Image, sound, tactility, and text all contribute to the creation of an integrated sensory brand experience.15 The vitality of this approach is based upon how it strengthens the bond between consumer and product.
04.22 Chart showing the Connection between Sensory Incorporation and Perceived Value.
The creation of a branded environment involves the concept of setting
the stage. Each element of the environment contributes to the overall experience. The sensory experience is best achieved with a clear message and appropriate staging. These considerations allow for the senses to command the attention of the user. The Disney brand does this successfully at their resorts, theme parks, and cruise ships. Luxurious castles, beautiful streetscapes, landscaped lawns that smell of freshly cut grass, cheerful songs, and a bright cast of characters all set the stage.16 Disney considers and designs each element their visitors come in Smell
contact with as an opportunity to communicate the brand’s message.
Taste
Touch
According to Lindstrom, when branding with sight (visual), smell
(aroma), sound (auditory), touch (tactile), and taste (flavor) a careful balance must be found. This is because each of the senses is not important for every brand or branded environment. Visual brands depend heavily on consistent Sound
Sight Current Sensory Dispersal Potential Sensory Dispersal
04.23 Sensory DIspersal for PLCH
colors and dynamics graphics. Catering to the sense of sight can be seductive. However, sound generates mood. Many brands are aware that feelings and emotions are created when background music is playing, whereas aromas and 15 16
Lindstrom, Martin. Brand Sense: How to Build Powerful Brands through Touch, Taste, Smell, Sight & Sound. London: Kogan Page, 2005. 40. Ibid., 50-52. 59
flavors are many times connected with distinct memories. A distinct smell or taste can conjure up memorable experiences. Touch is a tool of connection. Many times brands use textures or ergonomic design to influence how the customer will interact via touch.17 Careful selection and evaluation of each of the senses is important for branded environment creation. There is potential for the PLCH branch to create brand touchpoints with sensory integration. The next section illustrates the brand’s current strategy and focus. This leads to how the future of the brand can create a larger, more stimulating experience for the cardholder.
the PLCH BRAND
Currently, the PLCH system, in conjunction with the ML/21
program, has put a high priority on technology and branding through the library’s website. These priorities have been substantiated at the downtown branch, which increased the number of computer stations and staffed the facility with an array of librarians equipped with technical knowledge.18 Many of the localized branches in Cincinnati provide far less technological resources, despite the significant need of their cardholders. Inconsistency weakens the message of the PLCH, but the importance remains to portray the current workings of the brand. The current techniques and touchpoints highlight the potential for adaptation within the brand.
17 18
Ibid. 18-30. “PLA - Remaking One of the Nation’s Busiest Main Libraries | Public Libraries Online.” 60
BRAND TOUCHPOINTS
Logo
Logo – represents the pages of a book being opened and adds
cohesiveness to the brand by its utilization throughout the system
The Red Card – a tactile and personal brand element, the library
card is a symbol of membership and belonging. The card serves as the
brand’s passport and allows access to library materials.
Signage – Red rectangular signage adorned with the logo and branch
identification and mounted in the front of each branch, usually placed
in the ground.
The Collection – includes books, periodicals, and digital resources.
www.cincinnatilibrary.org – the library’s customizable web presence
allows customers to access the brand’s resources remotely and
within the facility itself.
The Main Library and its 41 branches – are the environments the
library provides as a setting for direct interface between library
staff, community, and the individual cardholders.
Signage
Entrance
Website
THE PUBLIC LIBRARY 04.24 Brand Touchpoints of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County
61
Main Library + 41 Branches
SERVICE DELIVERY
The library brand is service based. Their strategic plan spanning 2011-
2016 outlines how PLCH plans to modify their service delivery model. PLCH hopes to exceed customer expectations, particularly for technology seeking patrons, families, and children. The library would like to offer alternative means for staff to assist customers. Specifically, online assistance will be increased due to the library establishing credentials as information experts. Service delivery of the brand will above all remain flexible to the needs of the cardholder.
BRAND EXPERIENCE
The PLCH experience is initiated by brand awareness through contact
with one of the many touchpoints described above. Then a trip to the local branch is planned and the journey begins. The arrival at the library allows activities to occur for the user like becoming a cardholder and checking out useful resources. The journey home means bringing a part of the library home as well, perhaps a DVD or book. The new cardholder has forged a relationship with the PLCH brand. The relationship, marked by growth and learning, will
brand awareness
planning trip
journey
check-in
check-out
continue years into the future.
arrival
library visit
04.25 Progression of the Cardholder Experience
62
departure
brand relationship
SUMMARY
This chapter has shown how the concepts and principles of branding
can be applied to more than conventional products. The branding techniques that will be utilized to create an environment in keeping with the PLCH mission and identity include: 1
Making the PLCH more than a service or product, but a lovemark.
Give cardholders a feeling of ownership or belonging. Allow the Red
Card to store cardholder profiles and become a more integral part of
the library experience.
2
Explore how sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell can enrich the
Avondale Branch experience.
Visual - Color, text, and graphics focused touchpoints; sight based.
Sound – music and spoken narrative becomes prevalent in the
environment. This can be an opportunity for technology with
audiobooks and other devices.
Touch – the red card is the first point of connection for the PLCH
brand, but texture, tactility, and hands-on activities will be increased.
Aroma and Flavor – the market/café capitalize on these senses.
3
Embrace a bottom-up approach to choreograph the branded
environment. The PLCH brand, environment, and touchpoints
should relate directly to cardholder’s lifestyle and needs.
The branded environment for the urban public library will continue to define the specific functions and activities identified and described in the next chapter, Community Program. The hybridized grouping of activities will modify the existing institution, brand, and site.
63
05 COMMUNITY PROGRAM
Integrating a program that better incorporates the needs of
the cardholders and the Avondale community is the main focus of the thesis. A study of the existing branch, cardholder profiles, daily activities of the proposed design, and specific function inventories will occur in this chapter. Facets of the program will include community, technology, entertainment, learning, and nourishment. A detailed list of required functions will be the result of this in-depth analysis. Combined with the principles from the previous chapters, design thinking and decisions will begin to solidify in terms of creating a community branded library environment for Avondale and the 05.01 Facets of the Avondale Branch Program
Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.
LEARNING COMMUNITY LEARNING
TECHNOLOGY
COMMUNITY
NOURISHMENT
TECHNOLOGY
existing program
ENTERTAINMENT
proposed program
program structure
05.02 Diagram depicting program structure
65
CURRENT PROGRAM BREAKDOWN
Transforming the institution first involves taking inventory on the functions and activities
currently being fufilled by the existing facility. community gathering..............................1,100 sf
com
children spaces.......................................1,300 sf
com
pute
com
kid
s
rs
staff
selecting books and movies, seeking help from the librarian – asking/inquiring, interacting with other cardholders – talking, reading/writing/researching, relaxing/thinking/exploring
tee
ns
adu
lts
assisting cardholders in finding and checking out books, assisting cardholders with technology resources, providing help with homework, answering questions/email/phone calls, collecting and organizing information – books, audiobooks, periodicals, and films (children, teens, and adults), shelving books/storing excess materials, personal activities, scheduling programs and activities, housekeeping adult spaces............................................1,800 sf
sta
mu
librarian/staff spaces..............................4,600 sf
ff
nity
participating in library programs – literacy programs or storytelling for children, attending community meetings and gatherings,using the restroom, entering/exiting the library
pute
rs
selecting books and movies, seeking help from the librarian – asking/inquiring, interacting with other cardholders – talking, reading/writing/researching, relaxing/thinking/exploring/playing, completing homework or projects
05.03 Floor plans of existing Avondale Branch
non-program spaces...............................2,500 sf
technology............................................300 sf
mechanical, additional storage, circulation
browsing the collection online/visiting the library website, writing a resume/searching for jobs on the internet, utilizing the computer/browsing the internet
other activities without specific spaces traveling to the library – by foot, by car, by bus, entering the library, obtaining a library card – joining, returning books, paying library fines, exiting the library, sitting/standing/talking on the front porch of the library
total Avondale Branch.....................11,800 sf 6’ tall built-in shelves.........................1,200 lf holds movies, books, and periodicals
66
CARDHOLDER PROFILES
A description of eight fictional cardholders that represent the statistical and demographic
information of the Avondale community.
jasmine and jamal
Jasmine is a second grader and Jamal is a kindergartner. The public library serves as their after school playground. They love to read and play outside. 05.04
damien
Damien is a seventh grader at Rockdale Academy. He has been struggling in math, so he gets tutored at the public library every Wednesday. He loves movies, both watching and making them. 05.05
children
natasha
Natasha is 17 years old and attends the Cincinnati School for the Creative and Performing Arts. She sings and dances and the library is her favorite performance venue. 05.07
denise
Denise is Jasmine and Jamal’s mother. She cleans houses for a living and takes the bus to and from work. She relies on the public library market for healthy food and recipes to feed her growing family. 05.08
adults
frankie
Frankie is a 76 year old widower and lifelong Avondale resident. 05.09
whitney
Whitney is a UC graduate and a librarian at the Avondale branch. She enjoys her walk to work each morning. 05.10
staff
paul
Paul is currently the library branch manager in Avondale. He is a history buff with a particular interest in African American music and literature. 05.11
67
LIBRARY NARRATIVE
A storyline that weaves together the lives and activities of the eight cardholders from the
previous section. This narrative sheds light on PLCH branch design possibilities.
9:00 am
05.12 Frankie has a connection to the past. The library has been the one constant in his mix of memories across the site.
ry
toward the public library, he gets to see the vast
bli u p to t the he co d n a mmunity
ra ib l c
Each day as Paul drives down Reading Road
re lat ion
sh ip
improvements being made in Avondale. He has
the
bub bles
represent eac
worked in the community for five years and he has been branch manager last two.
for
the
Paul parks and walks through
the site, passing the various community spaces associated with the library, they will be enlivened in just an hour after the cardholders begin to arrive and participate in
the library’s many functions.
s er d l o dh r a hc
10:00 am
Frankie walks to the library and arrives when it opens. He spends time in the technology incubator, trying to remain connected with his family that has spread all over the country. Paul assists him in utilizing Skype on this particular Wednesday morning.
12:00 pm After helping Frankie, Paul puts the finishing details on a program about Louis Armstrong he is planning for later today.
69
05.13 Paul has a passion for history and he wants to use his position in the community to educate.
LIBRARY NARRATIVE
1:00 pm Whitney arrives at work after a leisurely walk down Reading Road. After arriving at her workspace, she 05.14 Jamal and Jasmine travel between school and the library. They find whimsy and childhood fun around every corner.
begins preparing her craft activity in the outdoor gathering area. Kids begin arriving, including Jamal and Jasmine who attend elementary school nearby the library campus.
2:00 pm Jasmine and Jamal went on a urban nature scavenger hunt led by Whitney and then they created collages together. They also borrow some books to read with their mom later. 05.15 Damien wants to improve his academics and also find his passions at the library.
4:00 pm
05.16 Whitney wants to spread technology, creativity, and learning into the community. Damien has an appointment with a tutor at the learning center. He asked many questions about his geometry assignment. He leaves the meeting with a confidence boost and a better understanding of triangles.
70
LIBRARY NARRATIVE
5:00 pm Natasha was invited by Paul to participate in his multimedia tribute to Louis Armstrong. She sings a few songs on the community stage, including “What
05.17 Natasha lives to perform and the library provides a stage for her.
a Wonderful World�. Frankie, Denise, and Paul all watch and talk about the music.
5:30 pm
Denise, working mom to Jamal and Jasmine, heads to the pop-up market and prepares snacks for the community meeting this evening. She serves veggies, toasted pita, and hummus.
6:00 pm
The
community
holds
monthly
meetings and 25 residents gather to plan events and discuss pertinent topics.
The kids play games to
stay busy.
8:00 pm 05.18 Denise’s busy schedule asserts the need for convenient and healthy food options on the site.
Whitney locks up the entire facility at the end of a busy day. She begins her walk home on a well lit path.
71
05. 19
PROGRAMMED ACTIVITIES
com
mu
COMMUNITY
- attending community meetings - gathering outdoors for relaxing/thinking/reading/interact - sitting/standing/talking on the front porch of the library - participating in library programs - informal gathering - exiting and entering the library - facilitating book clubs and leasing spaces for other groups
05. 20
tec
hno
TECHNOLOGY
- browsing the collection online/visiting the library website - seeking librarian assistance - printing documents - chatting and skyping - reading with an e-reader - playing online games - watching online content - browsing the internet - managing finances - listening to audio books or voice information - writing a resume/searching for jobs
05. 21
LEARNING
- providing homework help - tutoring programs - research/reading/writing - selecting books - participating in adult literacy programs - book discussions - arts and crafts/cooking/civic education/public speaking - job search assistance/mock interviews - career counseling - participation in classes
ENTERTAINMENT
05. 22
- watching performances - create craft projects - watching films in a group setting - borrow films to watch - perform comedy/song/dance - photograph/make films - record personal stories or audio diaries - explore an art exhibition - observe/interact/create art - read books about artist, singers, film directors - listen to music from around the world - play instruments 05. 23
NOURISHMENT
- purchase produce or food products - enjoy a cup of coffee - plan a meal - explore international and local fare - eat/snack - watch food be prepared - taste unique creations - receive cooking instructions/recipes - learn about healthy options - browse cookbooks - view and create digital culinary tutorials
part of a BRANDED EXPERIENCE
- traveling to the library-by foot, bus, bicycle, or car - exploring the site as an extension of the community - obtaining a library card - becoming a member - checking out/returning - checking your library profile - forming a relationship with library staff - learning in the presence of others - finding a larger world of knowledge 72
nity
log
lea
y
rni
ng
ent
ert
nou
ain
rish
me
nt
me
nt
05. 24
bra exp nded erie nce
SUMMARY
The list of programmed activities translates directly into the necessary
spaces of the new Avondale Branch. All five areas of the program are vital to the new community-based layout with community and technology being the largest architectural areas of focus. 1
Community functions will occur both interior and exterior. A
community meet-up room will adjoin with the existing Avondale
Branch, providing a separate entrance for up to 60 cardholders.
2
Technology functions are fulfilled by a technology incubator with 30
workstations that can be utilized with personal laptops or equipment
rented from the library tech bar.
3
Learning and brand engagement will occur throughout the site both
within the buildings and at smaller brand kiosks or “cards”
placed at zones of heightened engagement (building entrances,
bus stops, institutions, along the sidewalk, etc.).
4
Entertainment is encouraged through the addition of an outdoor
stage into the library design.
5
Nourishment is integrated into the library program to address the
neighborhood’s need for convenient food access. A small grocery,
cafe, and farmer’s market are integrated into the library master plan
to introduce a variety of healthy food options.
The program’s arrangement and details about the specific design proposal will be further explained in chapter 6.
73
06 PROPOSED DESIGN
After
concluding the research portion and making
programmatic decisions, the impetus of the thesis became the design of the Avondale Branch Library. Determining how to strategize the development along the site was the first challenge. The space surrounding the existing library is restrictive, encouraging a broader solution that integrates design elements into the fabric of the Avondale community. This allows the experience and influence of the branch library to extend beyond the traditional borders of the institution. The expanded site is punctuated by the most integral brand touchpoint, the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County’s red library card. Cardholders engage with these large red markers and new library buildings, providing direct contact with the
NOURISH EATING REQUEST COLLABORATE LEARN INFORM GATHER COMMUNITY RELATE DEPART
SHARING
ENGAGE
TECHNOLOGY DISCOVERY CELEBRATION ENTERTAIN PLAY
ARRIVE
WELCOME
brand and inviting increased participation with the PLCH.
06.01 Wayfinding device as design generator
75
SITE SCALE STRUCTURE
The programmatic swaths of activity traverse the Avondale
Town Center parking lot, intersecting Reading Road, which serves as the spine of the library’s dispersed scheme. PATHWAYS
06.02 Site structure
Angled pathways add complexity and flexibility to the
cardholder’s journey. This compositional technique derives from the pathways that weave through French forests like the Forest of Compiègne. MONUMENTAL CARDS
Twelve 16’ x 10’ library cards create nodal points of
06.03 Map of Forest of Compiègne
engagement that become essential brand touchpoints across the site. The interactive format allows cardholders access to their library profile through card swipe readers and touch screens. The card’s appearance and impact resembles the Penetrável Magic Square # 5, a sculptural grouping of colorful planes, located in Brazil. TECH INCUBATOR / MARKET / MEET UP
06.04 Penetrável Magic Square # 5
The built elements include a technology focused facility on
the south end of the site, a covered, outdoor market located centrally, and a community meet up space connected to the exisiting library, completing the north end of the development.
06.05 Diagram of interactive card
76
C3
EXISTING LIBRARY
MEET UP
C1
ING
MANN PLACE
g
erin
gath
com mu nity
C3 C2
C1
DIN
MEET UP
information
N2
g
RK
ET
MA
qu re
n
RK
CA
lea r
n
LEXINGTON AVEN
UE
colla
bora
te
LEXINGTON AVEN
UE
L1
FÉ
ET
L1
FÉ
L2
lea r
N2
tin
MA
CA
es t
L2
bo
ok s
ING
bus
PL GR CH OC ER Y
DIN
stop
com mu nity
C2
PL GR CH OC ER Y
ea
no uris
AVENUE
no uris
h
h
N1
FORREST
RE
AN
STA
A
R
RO
ert
ain
y
pla
HUTCHINS AVEN
UE
E1
T C INE CUH BA TO
ING
AD
AZ
R
engage
E1
T C INE CUH BA TO
PL
RE
ain
E2
A
T
ING
E3
n
tio
bra
le
ent
ert
AZ
AN
AD
E3
GE
ce
ent PL
UR
RO
STA
RE
GE
AD
T
E2
UR
AD
STA
STA
N1
ng
ari
sh
RE
discovery
h
tec
h T2
T2
tec
T3
T3
bus
stop
e
om
elc
w
T1
T1
AVENUE
MANN PLACE EXISTING LIBRARY
N
ROCK
DALE
AVENU
E
ROCK
DALE
AVENU
E
06.06 Site Plan of Avondale Branch Library
06.07 Existing Library
06.08 Outdoor Market
06.09 Tech Incubator
77
HUTCHINS AVEN
UE
BUILDING SCALE Accessible Entrance
Stage
Lounge
C3
Foyer
Sto.
Tech Lab Kid Zone
The real problem is not whether machines think but whether men do. Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_technology4.html#vITafAjkFMWAKkZa.99
Café
Meeting Space
Meet Up
Heart
Tech Bar
Teen spot Storage
Adult Zone
F M Tech Porch
The real problem is not whether machines think but whether men do. Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_technology4.html#vITafAjkFMWAKkZa.99
M Intervention through branding and architecture has been utilized to reevaluate the identity of the library in major United States cities with the focus typically directed towards the main, downtown, or central branch in a library system. Cities like Seattle, Denver, Salt Lake City, and the District of Columbia have spent large sums of money to transform their main libraries into architectural wonders, redefining both place and institution in a concurrent, reflective manner, yet the smaller branches in the respective systems may not be addressed in this process. The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County (PLCH) launched a program in 2010 entitled Main Library for the 21st Century (ML/21), which successfully rebranded and reshuffled the downtown branch, but offered no improvements to smaller branches in the system. The power of a library system is a sum of its parts. The central library represents the whole of the city, but the smaller branches, distributed throughout a city or county, spread the system’s message over a larger metropolitan area. Currently, the PLCH system in conjunction with ML/21 program has put a high priority on technology and branding through the library’s website. These priorities have been substantiated at the downtown branch, which increased the number of computer stations and staffed the facility with an array of librarians equipped with technical knowledge. Many community The of the localized branches in Cincinnati provide far less technological resources, despite the significant need of their customer base. As a result, the overall message for the whole of PLCH is weakened. The branch library has the ability to target functions and needs of a specific community. library philanthropist Andrew Carnegie had a strong belief that branch libraries supplemented the work of the central library. Carnegie funded the successful Pittsburgh library system based on these assumptions. Part of the success of the branch model is location. They are situated within the fabric of the community, in close proximity to people’s homes. The convenience of the branch library lends itself to becoming part of the daily routine and lifestyle of community members. Branch libraries have the potential to shape the identity of the community they reside within, many times having a restorative effect. For example, the Avondale branch is a part of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. The particulars of this branch differ from those of the Main Library. The Avondale branch provides 16 computer stations to the main library’s 100. The computers are constantly in use with this being many community members’ sole means of Internet access. Arguably, they are the most important resource the branch offers. Kids, adults, and job seekers alike seek out these resources to better themselves. Instead of dozens of staff on hand to answer questions, Avondale has 3 or 4 librarians working hard at any given time to serve their cardholders. Similar functions are occurring at the Avondale branch just at a smaller scale in comparison with the Main Library. The message of the system must be tailored to fit the branch’s individual identity based on the challenges and opportunities present in a community like Avondale. Perception, functionality, and facility must all be adapted to create a unique approach to Branch The library was a place for scholastic endeavors thousands of years before card the branch’s identity and architecture. Taking into account the specificity of the urban place, the trajectory of the public library, and the role of branding will elucidate the message of the entire PLCH system through the filter of the Avondale Branch. catalogs, bestseller lists, and Internet databases. One of the first libraries was the Ancient library of Alexandria, which was erected in 295 BC. It is unknown what the library buildings looked like because there is no written description to aid researchers. Some have surmised that it was likely a complex of buildings open to scientists, writers, and scholars, certainly not to the general public. The knowledge, scrolls upon scrolls, was housed in a temple of sorts. There was a selective learned audience who explored the collections, maintaining and supplementing the information. Still a place for educated men, the term public library was used to describe the typology in the Renaissance. Many humanist scholars utilized the collection housed in the Dominican monastery of San Marco. The architect Michelozzo Michelozzi designed a long, narrow room, divided by columns. The books books were arranged comfortably and the building served as a popular meeting place for scholars and scholars writers. and Thiswriters substantiates the fact that the libraries from antiquity and into the Renaissance were concerned
F
The real problem is not whether machines think but whether men do. Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_technology4.html#vITafAjkFMWAKkZa.99
06.10 Main Library + Meet Up Floor Plan
Meet Up
Existing
primarily with preser publicpreserving literacy orknow edu revolve around the p in the United States i early 20th Centuries.
06.11 Technology Incubator Floor Plan
Proposed
Intervention through branding and architecture has been utilized to reevaluate the identity of the library in major United States cities with the focus typically directed towards the main, downtown, or central branch in a library system. Cities like Seattle, Denver, Salt Lake City, and the District of Columbia have spent large sums of money to transform their main libraries into architectural wonders, redefining both place and institution in a concurrent, reflective manner, yet the smaller branches in the respective systems may not be addressed in this process. The Public Library of Cincinnati and 2010 entitled Main Library for the 21st Century (ML/21), which successfully rebranded and reshuffled the downtown branch, but offered no improvements to smaller branc The central library represents the whole of the city, but the smaller branches, distributed throughout a city or county, spread the system’s message over a larger metropolita priority on technology and branding through the library’s website. These priorities have been substantiated at the downtown branch, which increased the number of com of the localized branches in Cincinnati provide far less technological resources, despite the significant need of their customer base. As a result, the overall message for the w library philanthropist Andrew Carnegie had a strong belief that branch libraries supplemented the work of the central library. Carnegie funded the successful Pittsburgh lib community, in close proximity to people’s homes. The convenience of the branch library lends itself to becoming part of the daily routine and lifestyle of community memb Avondale branch is a part of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. The particulars of this branch differ from those of the Main Library. The Avondale branch access. Arguably, they are the most important resource the branch offers. Kids, adults, and job seekers alike seek out these resources to better themselves. Instead of doze the Avondale branch just at a smaller scale in comparison with the Main Library. The message of the system must be tailored to fit the branch’s individual identity based on the branch’s identity and architecture. Taking into account the specificity of the urban place, the trajectory of the public library, and the role of branding will elucidate the m catalogs, bestseller lists, and Internet databases. One of the first libraries was the Ancient library of Alexandria, which was erected in 295 BC. It is unknown what the library writers, and scholars, certainly not to the general public. The k menting the information. Still a p Domi
Meet East Up Elevation 06.13
Intervention through branding and architecture has been utilized to reevaluate the identity of the library in major United States cities with the focus typically directed towards the main, downtown, or central branch in a library system. Cities like Seattle, Denver, Salt Lake City, and the District of Columbia have spent large sums of money to transform their main libraries into architectural wonders, redefining both place and institution in a concurrent, reflective manner, yet the smaller branches in the respective systems may not be addressed in this process. The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County (PLCH) launched a program in 2010 entitled Main Library for the 21st Century (ML/21), which successfully rebranded and reshuffled the downtown branch, but offered no improvements to smaller branches in the system. The power of a library system is a sum of its parts. The central library represents the whole of the city, but the smaller branches, distributed throughout a city or county, spread the system’s message over a larger metropolitan area. Currently, the PLCH system in conjunction with ML/21 program has put a high priority on technology and branding through the library’s website. These priorities have been substantiated at the downtown branch, which increased the number of computer stations and staffed the facility with an array of librarians equipped with technical knowledge. Many community The of the localized branches in Cincinnati provide far less technological resources, despite the significant need of their customer base. As a result, the overall message for the whole of PLCH is weakened. The branch library has the ability to target functions and needs of a specific community. library philanthropist Andrew Carnegie had a strong belief that branch libraries supplemented the work of the central library. Carnegie funded the successful Pittsburgh library system based on these assumptions. Part of the success of the branch model is location. They are situated within the fabric of the community, in close proximity to people’s homes. The convenience of the branch library lends itself to becoming part of the daily routine and lifestyle of community members. Branch libraries have the potential to shape the identity of the community they reside within, many times having a restorative effect. For example, the Avondale branch is a part of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. The particulars of this branch differ from those of the Main Library. The Avondale branch provides 16 computer stations to the main library’s 100. The computers are constantly in use with this being many community members’ sole means of Internet access. Arguably, they are the most important resource the branch offers. Kids, adults, and job seekers alike seek out these resources to better themselves. Instead of dozens of staff on hand to answer questions, Avondale has 3 or 4 librarians working hard at any given time to serve their cardholders. Similar functions are occurring at the Avondale branch just at a smaller scale in comparison with the Main Library. The message of the system must be tailored to fit the branch’s individual identity based on the challenges and opportunities present in a community like Avondale. Perception, functionality, and facility must all be adapted to create a unique approach to Branch The library was a place for scholastic endeavors thousands of years before card the branch’s identity and architecture. Taking into account the specificity of the urban place, the trajectory of the public library, and the role of branding will elucidate the message of the entire PLCH system through the filter of the Avondale Branch. catalogs, bestseller lists, and Internet databases. One of the first libraries was the Ancient library of Alexandria, which was erected in 295 BC. It is unknown what the library buildings looked like because there is no written description to aid researchers. Some have surmised that it was likely a complex of buildings open to scientists, writers, and scholars, certainly not to the general public. The knowledge, scrolls upon scrolls, was housed in a temple of sorts. There was a selective learned audience who explored the collections, maintaining and supplementing the information. Still a place for educated men, the term public library was used to describe the typology in the Renaissance. Many humanist scholars utilized the collection housed in the Dominican monastery of San Marco. The architect Michelozzo Michelozzi designed a long, narrow room, divided by columns. The books books were arranged comfortably and the building served as a popular meeting place for scholars and scholars writers. and Thiswriters substantiates the fact that the libraries from antiquity and into the Renaissance were concerned
Meet Up 06.12 North Elevation
primarily with preserving knowledge, not publicpreserving literacy orknowledge education. Libraries to revolve around the public and its needs in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. Philanthropists
06.14 South Elevation
The addition to the main library incorporates a handicap
accessible ramp, which serves as a dedicated community entrance on the north side of the building. Text etched on the glazing leads the cardholder into the community Meet Up, which is divided into formal and informal meeting areas by a movable partition. The Tecnology Incubator on the south end of the site provides 30 additional computers to the library. Scrolling LED text introduces an important branding element to the exterior of the tech-focused facility, complementing the etched text on the main library addition. 78
Dam
Den ise
CARDHOLDER SCALE
ien
N
2
E3
06.16 Cardholder Diagram - N2
Wh
itne
y
06.15 Cardholder Diagram - E3
nkie
Fra
L2 T1
06.17 Cardholder Diagram - L2
06.18 Cardholder Diagram - T1
The enlarged library cards are placed strategically along the
site and serve as “pocket parks” for the Avondale residents. The recognizable color and logo refer back to the PLCH and the card itself is an important point of interaction between the cardholders and the brand. Touch screens, webcams, and card swipe technology allow access to the cardholder’s PLCH profile. Canopies, furnishings, and vegetation are all designed into each card module to encourage community members to inhabit the brand’s most important marker, the red library card. 79
07 CONCLUSION
The thesis has explored the potential role of branded
environments within the context of the branch library building type. Techniques of branding tailor the message and assist the library in becoming a dynamic force in the community. The Avondale Branch Library was the case study for this exploration, but the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County has many branches that could benefit from a stronger, community-focused connection to the PLCH brand. Branch libraries in Hyde Park, Norwood, and Walnut Hills could all benefit from a similar approach, considering the impact of the card and the brand on the cardholder’s experience.
A focus on defining the library’s functions based on the
specific community needs was an essential move in illustrating the validity of the institution in modern American society. Branding, hybridization, and community revitalization are all strategies that have been shown to transform the traditional library into a vital community knowledge center that is sensitive and responsive to the needs of cardholders. This guarantees the library will continue to be a place that connects the public, ideas, and information well into the future.
81
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY “About Us.” Digital Bookmobile from http://www.digitalbookmobile. com/About.aspx (accessed on December 21, 2011). “Administrative Update: Board Votes to Seek a Levy in the Fall – Funds are Needed to Save Our Library.” The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. “ALA | Library Bill of Rights.” ALA | Home - American Library Association. from http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/intfreedom/librarybill/ index.cfm (accessed on October 13, 2011). “Branded Environments.” Perkins + Will from http://www.perkinswill.com/ expertise/branded-environments.html (accessed on December 24, 2011). Buildings, Books, and Bytes: Libraries and Communities in the Digital Age. Washington, D.C.: Benton Foundation, 1996. Bure, Gilles de. Bernard Tschumi. Boston, MA: Birkhäuser: 2008. Carrera, Judith, Magda Anglès, and Torres Rosa Puig. In Favour of Public Space: Ten Years of the European Prize for Urban Public Space. Barcelona: CCCB, 2010. 54-59. Cerver, Francisco Asensio and Michael Webb. Redesigning City Squares and Plazas. New York, NY: Arco for Hearst International, 1997. City Branding: Image Building & Building Images. Rotterdam: NAi, 2002. Edwards, Brian. Libraries and Learning Resource Centres. Oxford, UK: Architectural Press, 2009. Fleischman, John. Free & Public: One Hundred and Fifty Years at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, 1853-2003. Wilmington, OH: Orange Frazer Press, 2003. “Free Library of Philadelphia 2009 Annual Report.” Free Library of Community from http://www.freelibrary.org/annualreport/ annualreport09/annualreport2009.pdf (accessed on December, 28, 2011). Govers, Robert, and Frank Go. Place Branding: Glocal, Virtual and Physical Identities, Constructed, Imagined and Experienced. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009. “Hamilton Farmer’s Market and Central Public Library.” Architect Magazine. from http://www.architectmagazine.com/community projects/hamilton-farmers-market-and-central-public-library.aspx (accessed on December 22, 2011). Hastings, Sascha, and Esther E. Shipman. Logotopia: the Library in Architecture, Art and the Imagination. Cambridge, Ont.: Cambridge Galleries Design at Riverside, 2008. Hegner, Phyllis. “Public Library’s ‘Be a Star with Your RED Card!’ Campaign Gets Support from the Arts & Metro.” Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. from http://www.cincyartsalliance. org/libraryitem.pdf (accessed on October 16, 2011).
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SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY “Illinois Budget Crisis | Chicago Public Library Commissioner Reacts to FOX Chicago News’ Story.” Chicago News and Weather | Fox Chicago News. from http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/news/library- taxes-closed-commissioner-reaction-letter-mary-dempsey-20100702 (accessed on October 18, 2011). Jacobs, Jane. The Death and Life of Great American Cities. New York: Random House, 1961. Klein, Naomi. No Logo. Hammersmith, London: Flamingo, 2000. Klingmann, Anna. Brandscapes: Architecture in the Experience Economy. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2007. Lerner, Frederick Andrew. The Story of Libraries: from the Invention of Writing to the Computer Age. New York: Continuum, 1998. “Library Funding.” The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. from http://www.cincinnatilibrary.org/info/funding. html (accessed on October 21, 2011). “’Library Parks’ used to regenerate city.” Library Journal from http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6696684.html (accessed on December 22, 2011). Lindstrom, Martin. Brand Sense: How to Build Powerful Brands through Touch, Taste, Smell, Sight & Sound. London: Kogan Page, 2005. “Lovett Library Park Renovation Plan Comes Into Focus.” Mt. Airy Patch from http://mtairy.patch.com/articles/ (accessed on December 30, 2011). Lushington, Nolan and Willis N. Mills. Libraries Designed for Users: a Planning Handbook. Syracuse, NY: Gaylord Professional Publications, 1979. Lynch, Kevin. The Image of the City. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 1960. “Mapping America: Every City, Every Block.” The New York Times. from http://projects.nytimes.com/census/2010/ explorer?ref=censusbureau (accessed on October 19, 2011). Mattern, Shannon Christine. The New Downtown Library: Designing with Communities. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 2007. “Minutes of the Board of Trustees of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.” The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. from http://www.cincinnatilibrary.org/info/boardminutes 201006.pdf (accessed on October 21, 2011). “Mission/Vision/Values.” The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. from http://www.cincinnatilibrary.org/info/mission.asp (accessed on October 13, 2011). Murdoch, James. “Beauty and the Book.” Architectural Record, July 12, 2011. http://archrecord.construction.com/projects/building _types_study/libraries/2011/libraries-intro.asp. “New Branch Library for Avondale.” The Cincinnati Times-Star. February 28, 1913. 24.
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SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY Norberg-Schulz, Christian. Genius Loci: towards a Phenomenology of Architecture. New York: Rizzoli, 1980. Oldenburg, Ray. The Great Good Place: Cafés, Coffee Shops, Community Centers, Beauty Parlors, General Stores, Bars, Hangouts, and How They Get You through the Day. New York: Paragon House, 1989. “Our Community.” Avondale Community Council from http://www. avondalecommunitycouncil.org/community.lasso (accessed on November 5, 2011). “PLA - Remaking One of the Nation’s Busiest Main Libraries | Public Libraries Online.” PLA - Public Libraries Online. from http://www. publiclibrariesonline.org/magazines/featured-articles/remaking -one-nations-busiest-main-libraries (accessed on October 17, 2011). “Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County Cardholder Clusters.” The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. Roberts, Kevin. Lovemarks: the Future beyond Brands. Brooklyn: PowerHouse, 2006. Stephens, Suzanne. “Anacostia Library, Washington D.C.” Architectural Record, March 2011. 89. “University of Cincinnati, Richard E. Lindner Center.” Perkins + Will from http://www.brookviewtechnologies.com/videopress/ UC%20Lindner%20Center.pdf (accessed on December 24, 2011). Van Slyck, Abigail Ayres. Free to All: Carnegie Libraries & American Culture, 1890-1920. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1995. Wheeler, Alina. Designing Brand Identity: an Essential Guide for the Entire Branding Team. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley, 2009. Varley, Holly. Interview. 13 October 2011.
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