Again to the Library

The central lobby arch with ceiling treatment and large scale textures in the lobby.

I finally got the Geezer interested in going down to the new library.  Probably he is doing this just to please me, but maybe he is interested in the architecture too.  He’s not much of a book reader though he will read things on a screen for hours.

Why, I wonder, didn’t I go to the old main library and photograph its delightful, 1950’s, post Bauhaus detailing.  The terrazzo entrance.  The huge brass surround on the elevator.  The brass handrails leading you up and down stairs.  The oak tables.  The built in phone booth.  The lack of air-conditioning.  I hated that when I was a kid and mother sent me to get addresses there for a direct mailing list.  The heat was excruciating and all I wanted was a smoke.

  Left: The central arch in the new lobby.  Right: A floor tile pattern that echos the continual patterns in the new building.

Wire mesh as elevator texture with a visiting photographer.

  Left:  Hall wall texture.  Right: Elevator lobby ceiling with spaces to slide doors.

Old Central Library façade.  C San Diego Reader.

  Left: The built in Phone booths.  C Drawn and Quarterly.   Right: The Wagenheim Room, designed to look like a 1910 private library.  Today there’s a very modern room.  C UTSsandiego.

Study area inside the dome.

Of course I will come home with an acre of images that will bore you to bits.  I’ll apologize but be a very happy me though.  Very.