Metadata
Title
Tabula Rasa 2050: The Future of the Athenaeum
Creator
Friedel, Allison
Location
Ossining, NY, USA
Call Number
005-LF-S006
Date
2014
School
The Catholic University of America
Category
Student
Project Assumption
The proposal to design and build a new Athenaeum in place of the historical building that is present today brings up questions regarding preservation. If this building can be disposed of in the near future, what if all historic buildings in the site’s area disappeared as well? We are left with little to represent the character and history that is Philadelphia. Removing these historic places from the site shows how important the preservation of architectural documents is to the city.
Project Statement
The Athenaeum plays an essential role in Philadelphia since it holds the architectural documents of the city. Storage, preservation, and curatorial operations will be set at the heart of the program. This central, solid piece will hold up the rest of the building. The public will circulate around it, briefly pass through it, and ultimately preserve it. The physical architecture of Philadelphia is no longer regarded as the city’s pride and ornament. Instead it is the artifact, carefully preserved within a building whose new purpose is to disseminate this information and resource.
Registration Number
46131390