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Kansas City #8 - The Downtown Library and the "City of Tomorrow" Exhibit
So far we've had ...
Kansas City #1 - Downtown Kansas City #2 - Quality Hill Kansas City #3 - Beacon Hill Kansas City #4 - The Plaza Kansas City #5 - River Market Kansas City #6 - Crossroads Kansas City #7 - The Stadiums This one is a bit different. Rather than show a neighborhood, instead this is a thread about a specific building - the downtown library. And more importantly, it's about the "City of Tomorrow" exhibit on the 5th floor. I think this deserves its own thread rather than putting it in another post in my downtown KC thread. On the 5th floor of the downtown library, the hallways contain an exhibit showing some of the city planning maps, photos and documents of the mid-century period. It's pretty interesting, even if, like many, you think that era of planning was a disaster. Anyway, I took these photos in early January but haven't gotten around to posting them until now. Here's the front side of the library. https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3943/3...4a8ba641_o.jpg And the sign next to the front entrance advertising the exhibit. If this sign weren't there I never would have known of its existence. https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2810/3...9b6e5e90_o.jpg Step inside the front door and this is what you see. https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2878/3...306e21d8_o.jpg More ... |
Take the elevator up to the 5th floor and you're in the exhibit.
I forget what year this master plan was done - sometime in the 50's I presume. Most of the documents in the exhibit come from that master plan, but not all of them. https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2810/3...09ce56fe_o.jpg https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2939/3...fcae4f74_o.jpg This one turned out a bit fuzzy. https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3840/3...599f1082_o.jpg Annexation areas and other stuff. https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3855/3...d99a1cbc_o.jpg More ... |
Trafffic analysis.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2858/3...5f358f0d_o.jpg Streetcar routes. https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2828/3...ffcea8b6_o.jpg Housing map. https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2849/3...0ca08774_o.jpg Demographic map from 1934. https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2897/3...c95ca10a_o.jpg And one of the downtown freeway loops under construction. https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3840/3...7a3ec367_o.jpg More ... |
That was the gist of the exhibit. Now for a bit of the library itself.
On the 5th floor there is a rooftop balcony, but with the snow at the time it was closed. https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2931/3...a0509dc3_o.jpg Cool old map on the 1st or 2nd floor, if I recall. https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2946/3...87ffb6bf_o.jpg View out a window from (I think) the 2nd floor. Looking west. https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2924/3...97ccefef_o.jpg From the same window (I think) looking up this time. https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2931/3...c50f9221_o.jpg And the courtyard on (I think) the 2nd or 3rd floor. Lots of the people sitting there were homeless. https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2930/3...8c780fc7_o.jpg That should give you an idea. If you're ever in KC, check out the exhibit in the library! |
nice...making me nostalgic. i always loved that area of downtown.
kc never demolished things on a rustbelt scale so things like this seem a little more quaint i guess. |
Now that's my kind of exhibit! I love to nerd out on things like that - mid century urban planning / renewal, for all its faults, is indeed a fascinating study - it's neat that the library put it together.
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Yeah, it's kind of a playful facade but ... well, it's just a garage.
Maybe next time I take pics downtown I'll snap a shot of it and stick it here. |
I almost lost life in open street in KCMO in 2011 but i support KCMO cuz it got potential, it is right in the middle.
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