Beyond the myriad symbolic possibilities of the sphere (platonic perfection, universality, the divine) this project utilizes the sphere’s immanent potential for projective geometry to link with a concept of shaping the social spaces of the contemporary library. The sphere is intersected with the horizontal and vertical planes of the cube to answer the question: at a time when access to knowledge no longer requires the physical resources of the library, why do people come? To share knowledge? Not primarily, given that the main programmatic component of the library, the reading room, discourages verbal communication. To access knowledge? Previously this was true, however with the proliferation of personal devices available to access the exponentially ever-expanding exabytes of online information, people can perform research from the comfort of home. This project takes the position that the purpose of the contemporary library is to inspire people to learn. And the best mechanism for inspiring people is… other people. The architectural problem is thus: how can we shape spaces of togetherness where people can come to be surrounded by others that share the intention of accessing knowledge? How can we as designers provide environments for different modes shared intentions to unfold? Are there typological elements of the library that promote not the access to knowledge but rather the shared intention of accessing knowledge which binds together knowledge communities (cities, towns, elementary schools, universities, museums, etc.)?

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Negotiating Nature & Culture: A Programmatic Gradient

The Emerald Necklace is pulled across the Fenway to envelope the north portion of building. Additional cross-walk connections and winding paths are provided to encourage a continuity of greenery and activity. The reading rooms and the auditorium are oriented towards this reflective asset, while parking is placed underground. The cube thus floats between Nature to the north (the Necklace) and Culture to the S/SE (the MFA). This creates a diagonal nature / culture gradient within the building which is used to situate interior activity. Programs which are more active and social spaces are positioned towards the museum, while more reflective spaces are oriented towards the Necklace. Pei’s entry plaza is extended to create a new southern-facing urban plaza where students and visitors can access both the new library and the Museum.

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Vertical Intersections: Projecting Formal Types

The sphere, when intersected with horizontal and vertical planes, is an entity capable of producing forms which are familiar to the history of the library, i.e. part of its typological heritage. When intersected with the vertical plane, the sphere produces a circle. The top half of this circle is the arch -- a formal and structural element historically used in libraries to achieve masonry long-spans. The bottom half of the sphere becomes a shallow seating bowl (i.e. arena) which allows people watching people watching people.

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Horizontal Intersections: The Shape of Human Behavior

When intersected with the horizontal plane (the virtual floor plate) the sphere again creates a circle, recognized in plan as the shape created by natural human behavior when people come together, i.e. the shape of being surrounded by people of shared intentions.