Metadata
Title
Reflections: The Athenaeum 2050
Creator
Nguyen, Nguyen Phuc
Location
Annandale, VA, USA
Call Number
005-LF-S020
Date
2014
School
The Catholic University of America
Category
Student
Project Assumption
Walter Benjamin once described the Angelus Novus, the angel of history, facing the past, its wings caught in the storm of progress. Our wings are caught in the winds of technological progress. The 2050 Athenaeum reflects on this relationship of history and progress. It will reflect the civic values and cultural aspirations of Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love. It will reflect the changes brought by digital technology on our experience and access to knowledge. It will also offer a quiet place for reflection and contemplation, a welcomed counterpoint to the increasingly hectic tempo of life.
Project Statement
To create this quiet reflection, the building is organized along a narrow courtyard. The front houses the public spaces: a central lobby with two wings: the study over the entrance and a gallery with offices above. Private support spaces in the back include extensive storage areas for the collection and conservation area. Water unifies the composition. A vertical water wall connects through a trough to the reflecting pool in the courtyard. Beyond, a new reflecting pool leads to the central fountain and the historic monument in Washington Square Park. It reflects and refracts light and sky.
Registration Number
46148406