Visualizing the Library of Today Through Multilayered Spaces

Abstract

The library program has experienced continued evolvement of spatial conditions with respect to technological advancements and the changing needs of the general public. Recent precedents have begun to remove physical book stacks from the user experience in exchange for improved efficiency of space. There is value in maintaining the presence of book stacks because it is a gesture towards tradition and the "existence will" of the program. This thesis explores the organization of the three program components which define the ideal modern library: archive, social, and digital media spaces. Considering modern libraries offer more communally charged programmatic spaces, maintaining the integration of archive spaces throughout the scheme can strengthen the gradient of public to private conditions. The collective balance of the archive, social, and digital media spaces gives communities the opportunity to come together for ideal intergenerational exchange and co-creation.