pic from warszavka i lavinka blog
@. Al. Niepodleglosci 213
archtiect. Stanisław Fijałkowski
finished. 1983 (designed in the 60's)
The history of the National Polish Library reaches back to the 18th century however its contemporary form came into existence in 1928. By the war the library housed an impressive collection of published works and historic manuscripts. Unfortunately much of it was damaged during the war. The historic manuscripts were purposefully destroyed or taken to Germany as a retaliation against the Waraw Uprising, despite specific provisions in the capitulation agreement. Today the library holds millions of volumes in the complex built in the Pole Mokotowskie park as well as in the Krasinski Palace. There are a lot of mixed feelings towards the massive library complex. While it has a cool sixties aesthetic with funky mosiacs, the interior is being taken over by cheap Formica furniture bought in spurts to meet some pressing need. The library also faces a massive storage problem, a new building, designed by the library's architect has been proposed (who knows when it will be built though). The renderings look awful, an office block from a Dallas suburb not an integral element to a modernist national library complex. You be the judge, new book storage.The architect also designed the SGGW campus, the ubiquitous concrete cube seems to be his signature, sigh. Yet again, the library is a cool building, it is has some well thought-out design elements, it is set within the Pole Mokotowskie park, an amazing, natural, forest-like setting, there is so much to work with here!! Yet the library is surrounded by fencing, it feels heavily guarded. It definately hasn't made the leap from communism.
No comments:
Post a Comment