Idea StoreStudio ProjectGeorgia Tech

What makes an idea store special is that it combines multiple and various oppor-tunities for learning, discovery, and experience. One can see a play, research a pa-per, view artwork, and commune with friends all in one place. At the heart of an idea store is the library. In my design, I have pierced the main building with a glass tower that rises from the earth and peaks out above the surrounding structure. In this tower the stacks are housed, allowing the books to become the metaphorical anchor of the entire site. My precedent for this move is the British library’s similar tower of stacks. The surrounding buildings are made up of shifting boxes, each with unique facade treatments. Inspired by the Sendai Mediatheque, the distribution of program is based on these boxes. The first floor of the two buildings is used as a gathering area which spreads across the site encompassing both the inside and the outside. The facade is treated with clear glass to reflect this openess. The second floor is the library and is wrapped in reading rooms. The wood louvers surrounding the second floor respond to the need for gentle, natural light in this study space. The top floor houses the exhibition space and has a completely opaque facade, only receiving natural light from above. The distinction between these various programs is further emphasized by the shift in the second floors. Architecturally,the glass tower becomes the source of union between these programs. It acts as a skewer to prevent the floors from drifting apart. It is the combination of these programs that makes the idea store a place for rich experiences and discoveries.

Program Layout Precedent:Sendai Mediatheque

Stacks Precedent:British Library

Model of Glass Towerfor Stacks

Sectional Program Diagram

Third Floor

Second Floor

Main Floor

AuditoriumStac

ks

Administration

Lobby and Classrooms

Exhibition

Reading Rooms

Prior to designing the idea store, I was re-quired to design a reading room with a sitting area and a computer and desk area. I had to accommodate lighting for both reading and computing tasks, taking advantage of natural light. I designed the reading roombased on a system of layered slatswhich at various moments becomethe wall, the door, the floor, the stairs,the shelves, the desk, and the seat.The short sides of the room facenorth/south with a large windowgathering the northern light. Theeastern facade also has a largewindow capturing the morninglight while the western facadeis shaded by the slatted walls. The reading area which requiresmore natural sunlight is raisedabove simultaneously shrouding thedesk space below which requiresless light for the computer screen.

Lighting and Facade Research

North and West Facades

South and East Facades

Enclosure Diagram

Section Through West Building

Section Through East Building

Facade Parti