Halifax Central Library | 27 m | 6 fl | Completed

[counterfactual]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Piffle. I attempt to reflect the views and needs of the majority of people who are paying taxes in HRM, not those who would like to dip into the pot to fund their own pet projects that serve only a few. Things like bike lanes at the expense of badly-needed road upgrades are a good example of that but the library itself is another, on a much larger scale. Yes, it is a magnificent edifice. Did we need a magnificent edifice on this site? I would say no, but Council knuckled under to pressure. Hopefully we will learn from that mistake. Never piss off those paying the bills because someday they will toss you out.

Nothing magnificent is ever needed in the world. Thankfully, bare needs does not win every decision otherwise we'd live in a much less interesting and beautiful world.

The Eiffel Tower didn't have to be more than three stories. The pyramids didn't have to be magnificent structures of the ancient world; other forms of tombs could have been used. The Statute of Liberty could have probable served a similar purpose at half the size. Michaelangelo probably could have painted the Sistine Chapel eggshell white -- it would have been much cheaper and practical (though made less tourism dollars over the years). Rome could have actually been built in a day, but it would have not really been magnificent. etc.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by counterfactual

Nothing magnificent is ever needed in the world. Thankfully, bare needs does not win every decision otherwise we'd live in a much less interesting and beautiful world.

The Eiffel Tower didn't have to be more than three stories. The pyramids didn't have to be magnificent structures of the ancient world; other forms of tombs could have been used. The Statute of Liberty could have probable served a similar purpose at half the size. Michaelangelo probably could have painted the Sistine Chapel eggshell white -- it would have been much cheaper and practical (though made less tourism dollars over the years). Rome could have actually been built in a day, but it would have not really been magnificent. etc.

The Roman empire fell. The Egyptian pharohs were overthrown. France was defeated. And maybe soon, we will throw the overspending bums on HRM Council out.

[visualman57]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

The Roman empire fell. The Egyptian pharohs were overthrown. France was defeated. And maybe soon, we will throw the overspending bums on HRM Council out.

Or possibly, the sane people on this site will throw you and your constantly self important negative attitude out. Seasons Greetings.

[Keith P.]

I am apparently misinformed. I had no idea this was a cheerleading site for wasteful public spending.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Kids, kids, let's keep it civil in here. We don't all agree but there's no reason to get nasty about it.

I think the library is an asset to downtown, and though I haven't had time to visit it yet (which I will soon), I believe it to be a magnificent structure. It has stairs, it has elevators, it has books, it has various facilities all available for public use. The facility has the potential to be many things to many people, and is one place where differences in personal financial situations have no meaning, which is what a proper library should be.

Yeah, I think some of the conversations are a little overblown, but on the plus side it is indicative of the passion that people have for the city - and that's a good thing.

Keith, I may not agree with your views on the library, but I get a certain sense of amusement in the way that you state them - that's laughing with you, not at you. You have a keen sense of wit that goes along with your direct, sometimes filter-less comments that I have no choice but to appreciate.

All others: please visit your new library often - enjoy and support it, it's there for you. I plan to get there as much as possible.

And... Merry Christmas to all.

[eastcoastal]

I visited over the weekend... I, truthfully, didn't mind MOST of the interior finishes - floors were fine, walls/railings were fine, ceilings were fine... the rubber finish on the stairs seemed a jarring downgrade, expecially given that the stairs are such significant (and enjoyable in my experience) feature. If I were Queen of the Library, Judith the First, I would have removed the ceramic frit leaves (which I think will look dated in the not to distant future) in favour of a kick-ass material on the stairs.

Other than that: nice space... I felt like I was somewhere else, visiting a nice city, where they appreciated nice things. Which brings me to the thought I had immediately after "ew - those stairs are a let-down after passing through those big glass doors": it doesn't feel particularly Haligonian. I'm not sure if that's because I now equate low-quality with Halifax, or if there was something too generic about the space. I definitely knew I was IN Halifax when I went up to look off the exterior deck.

I now have a library card, and I will use it.

There are plenty of great places to sit and read - I didn't find it distractingly noisy at all... Though, one portion of the main floor seemed lacking in lighting - maybe they just haven't distributed floor lamps like appear elsewhere.

The theatre was not in a programmed use while I was there, but it was being utilized by kids who were playing with the colourful cushions on the stage area and adults who were sitting in the bleachers watching (their kids?) and socializing.

The front plaza felt like a generous space (while it does have bar-height tables and stools, I did feel like sitting-height planters would have made it better), with excellent lighting... somehow the siting of the building and the design of the plaza makes the TUNS building next door look better. I think the rear plaza will be nice once the trees grow in.

The rooftop terrace was an exciting space to be in, but the entry sequence was a let-down (as was already mentioned).

Overall, I'm glad it's here, and I hope it encourages local developers to be a little more sophisticated.

[Ziobrop]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

The Roman empire fell. The Egyptian pharohs were overthrown. France was defeated. And maybe soon, we will throw the overspending bums on HRM Council out.

And what remains were their grand buildings. The pantheon, the pyramids, the palace of Versailles are all treasures to this day, hundreds of years after the regimes that built them have fallen.

[portapetey]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

The Roman empire fell. The Egyptian pharohs were overthrown. France was defeated. And maybe soon, we will throw the overspending bums on HRM Council out.

I love this kind of satire. You should go write for the Onion, or the Coast.

[JET]

Originally Posted by Ziobrop

And what remains were their grand buildings. The pantheon, the pyramids, the palace of Versailles are all treasures to this day, hundreds of years after the regimes that built them have fallen.

What I thought about when I read your post and Keith's is that while all of those old edifices are still around, most things built in the last 50 years won't last 50 years. Ain't progress grand.

[Ziobrop]

Originally Posted by JET

What I thought about when I read your post and Keith's is that while all of those old edifices are still around, most things built in the last 50 years won't last 50 years. Ain't progress grand.

the 50year thing has a few practical reasons - in the retail context, its assumed that retail patterns will change. - if you look at 30 year old grocery stores they are much smaller then current ones. even walmarts have gotten bigger since the stores went in. By the same token, Big box stores are now doing smaller format urban stores - look at Rona.

after 50 years, i suspect most of a buildings Mechanical systems would need significant work. the building gets old and doesnt perform as well.
the BMO tower is close to 50, and needs work, but it is still serviceable. The TD Tower just had a complete gut and Reno, but the building is still there.

anyway - the Eiffle tower was temporary for the Paris worlds fair. they will get around to removing that one of these days.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Ziobrop

And what remains were their grand buildings. The pantheon, the pyramids, the palace of Versailles are all treasures to this day, hundreds of years after the regimes that built them have fallen.

And perhaps if they had taken care of their people's real needs better instead of building monuments to themselves, they would not have been toppled.

[counterfactual]

Having finally had a chance to properly check out the library, I can honestly say that it is just plain awesome.

I know Keith and Tim Bousquet will hate to hear it, but this library really is "world class". It actually has more of a European feel to the design-- like something you'd encounter more in Europe than Canada-- which makes sense given the Danish architects and designers.

And I'm not one to offer praise easily; I'm often critical of the City, its policies, and its dealings with stakeholders.

But this library is not only stunning externally, but the foresight in the design of internal spaces was also brilliant. Like the use of the upper level space for the lounge area on one side and cafe on the other, with full windows surrounding, offering an amazing panoramic view of the city, the narrows, the distance, etc.

Really, the Central Library offers a completely new perspective on the city, from that level. You will see Halifax differently after you visit this library.

Others have been critical of some of the internal furnishings-- that's a fair criticism. I also think the square in front right now is underutilized. There should be more informal seating around there, to bring more people to this nice public space on a (now) important intersection downtown.

Overall, it's an astonishing accomplishment for the city, especially as we often struggle with conservative attitudes towards architectural design and investing in greatness as opposed to mediocrity ("why do we need <enter nice thing here>. We don't need to be Toronto!"). This isn't Toronto, to be sure. In fact, it's difficult to think of comparable public spaces elsewhere in Canada. But it's not necessarily the old Halifax approach either. It's a New Halifax. It's bold.

[Hali87]

Some pics from inside (sorry about the mediocre quality)



























There's definitely been a quiet revolution in architecture in Halifax over the last decade or so, and the library feels like the culmination. But buildings like the Seaport Market, NSP HQ, Bridge Terminal, Canada Games Centre, Rowe/Goldberg/Campbell/McCain Buildings at Dal, and probably others at SMU and NSCC all share some of the library's design features; I'm not sure if it's a local reaction to the somewhat cramped style that tends to define Halifax or if it has more to do with LEED, but large voids and atriums, walkways and interesting stairs are common features.

There have also been quiet but substantial upgrades to the interiors of places like Barrington Place, Scotia Square, and HSC, and the inside of Waterside Centre is really nice, if a bit small. There's a certain new sleekness that had been missing here for a long time. Not to say that everything old needs to be replaced, but it really feels like we were stuck in the 20th century for a while there, design-wise. It'll be interesting to see how the Nova Centre turns out, and how other similar projects across Canada turn out (the library in Calgary and the art gallery in Victoria, for example).

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Hali87

Some pics from inside (sorry about the mediocre quality)

Thank you for documenting for all to see what profligate waste looks like.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by Hali87

There's definitely been a quiet revolution in architecture in Halifax over the last decade or so, and the library feels like the culmination.

I wonder how much of an impact this will have on how people in Halifax perceive modern buildings. Up until recently, "modern architecture" in Halifax connoted unpopular and somewhat unfriendly buildings like Scotia Square or the Maritime Centre. It was hard to come up with good local examples of modern buildings and there was a fairly common implicit assumption that great buildings were something passed down from previous eras and that the best the city could possibly do was to preserve what it already had (even though that hasn't been happening very well in Halifax). The Heritage Trust definitely seems to play up the idea that the best the city can ever do is to cling to and try to recreate its past. I think heritage preservation is important but it's not good to live in the past; the needs of the city have changed over time.

Maybe in the future there will be more of a sense that it is possible to build great new buildings and public spaces that will themselves be passed down as new landmarks.

[Nouvellecosse]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Thank you for documenting for all to see what profligate waste looks like.

There's nothing wasteful about spending public money on a free and publicly accessible facility just because you don't personally plan to use it. Talk about a tired, repetitive old dogma...

[Aya_Akai]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Thank you for documenting for all to see what profligate waste looks like.

Ffs.. Keith.. gettin' reaaaaal tired of your complaining in here, you're getting worse than the Heritage Trust with their complaints about height, traffic, shadows, wind.. etc etc... at this point you're really seeming to be the only person to be having any negative feelings towards the library. Did your mother not teach you well? "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" I don't know if I'm going to get in trouble for saying this, but whatever- could you do us all a favour and just stay out of this thread from now on please? We get your point. We don't want to hear it over and over.

[Nouvellecosse]

I also kind of understand how he feels though since if the city spent money on something I considered foolish and wasteful like say, a new harbour road bridge, I'd be so mad that I'd have a hard time not to harp about it long after it was completed. That being said, as hard as I would find it, I would still resist the urge since I know that if I dwelt on it long enough I'd sound like a broken record and instead of adding to the public discourse I'd actually be sabotaging other's ability to have a meaningful discussion.

[ILoveHalifax]

Way to go Keith.
I really enjoy your posts, you have a great sense of humor and wit.
I think your posts are by far the most interesting and creative.

[visualman57]

Originally Posted by halistreaks

ffs.. Keith.. Gettin' reaaaaal tired of your complaining in here, you're getting worse than the heritage trust with their complaints about height, traffic, shadows, wind.. Etc etc... At this point you're really seeming to be the only person to be having any negative feelings towards the library. Did your mother not teach you well? "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" i don't know if i'm going to get in trouble for saying this, but whatever- could you do us all a favour and just stay out of this thread from now on please? We get your point. We don't want to hear it over and over.

hear hear!!!