excerpted from www.architectura.ca
"The main goal in providing the master plan and long-range development program for the new central library was to create an orderly plan of expansion and to allow for the "decanting" of the old Main Library. While the old Library is one of the pre-eminent heritage buildings on campus, it was severely limited in its ability to meet future growth requirements. Phase One of the master plan establishes the systems, image and presence of the new library, specifically setting the vision into the 21st century. The new design is classical in its order and structure while clearly light and contemporary in its materials and technology. The three mid levels permit the maximum amount of daylight into the building, providing benefits of energy, orientation and psychological well-being." |