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After Bumps and Bribery Charges, Frank Gehry's Library Opens at Princeton
For its trouble, the university has gotten a structure that will probably inspire and delight those who work in it. (Photo by Brian Wilson, Princeton U.)
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A Green Building as a Billboard for Science
(A 2006 Chronicle video)
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Buildings & Grounds is written by Scott Carlson (left) and Lawrence Biemiller (right). Scott Carlson writes about architecture, facilties, energy, and sustainability, among other topics. Lawrence Biemiller writes about architecture and facilities and contributes to Notes from Academe. What's happening on your campus? Let us know.
At Princeton U., a Gehry Building Nears Completion
Photographs of Princeton University’s new Frank Gehry building, the Lewis Science Library, show a structure as angled, eclectic, and interesting as any of Mr. Gehry’s recent works. The photos accompany a detailed account of a tour of the new structure, which has an oddly skewed four-story tower, a daring star-shaped opening between floors, and bold interior colors. But the first thing you think, of course, is: Will it leak?
It’s hard not to wonder, in the wake of the lawsuit that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology filed against Mr. Gehry—especially when you see the photograph of a small but complex glass detail that involves three different glass roof planes, all on different angles, and what appear to be angled glass walls as well. In just that one photograph, pieces of steel jut out in so many directions that the contractors must still be having nightmares, to say nothing of the glass cutters, the caulkers, and whoever in Mr. Gehry’s firm had to make the construction drawings.
The rest of us, however, can look forward to either enjoying or loathing the building, according to our own feelings about Mr. Gehry in particular and high-profile architects in general. Due to open this summer—a year late—the 87,000-square-foot building will house not only the science library but also instructional-technology offices.
Lawrence Biemiller | Monday April 21, 2008 | Permalink | Contact usComments
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Why is it that today’s architects are so obsessed with putting up ugly buildings that are total eyesores?
And why does a university like Princeton enable this type of dreck?
A beautiful Gothic campus with this horrid building that looks like it has just gone through a 9.5 quake, in its middle, is eye cacophony.
Geary’s buildings are all so horrid, he has conned people into thinking that these retched building are synonymous with good design.
He should stick to putting up his buildings in Florida or LA, places with no taste and where anything over thirty years old is demolished, that way he will only inflict his poor taste on one or two generations.
— warrren Apr 21, 03:31 PM #
I think the building looks very interesting – but if it’s in total contrast to the architectural style of the surrounding buildings, it’s liable to be an odd fish visually.
— Al Apr 21, 04:13 PM #
Like most of Gehry’s stuff, it looks like it’s right out of Toon Town. He’s a great metaphor for the age we live in.
— first marci Apr 21, 04:19 PM #
It looks like a train wreck!
— Meredith Apr 21, 04:28 PM #
I like it very much. But I only say this because I won’t have to live with the (only possible) results of leaks. If I did, I would qualify my liking of it.
first marci is right. Toon Town, indeed. Appropriate metaphor, yes. (Train wrecks are also excellent metaphors of our time…)
— barbara Apr 21, 04:49 PM #
A note for warren: The building now called the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, just west of the White House, was considered an eyesore from about the time it was completed—in 1888, after 17 years of construction—until the Truman years. Now it’s a beloved architectural landmark, even though it looks nothing like the building beside it at all. That’s just to say that it’s hard to know, especially before a building’s even open, how history will judge it a century on.
— Lawrence Biemiller Apr 21, 05:25 PM #