In Motus

In Motus

Bluvshtein, Betty

Newman, Daniel

Philadelphia, PA, USA

2014

005-LF-P007

Professional

Since antiquity, knowledge was stored via physical text and retrieved in situ at the library site. The ubiquity of information technology puts both the archive and its retrieval in motus for all. Considering the physical activities of retrieval and storage at the library have become anachronistic, the role of the Athenaeum’s architectural presence shifts. Since the archive is now hosted off-site, the building itself must become a rallying point for an institution with Philadelphian roots, but new global tendrils; an icon, preserving the memory of the Athenaeum’s previous incarnation, while offering a newfound opportunity to educate and engage those within the proximity of it’s radiance.

The architecture of the new Athenaeum of Philadelphia repurposes the institution as an archive in motus. The façade transmits a constant representation of information being retrieved from the archive, dispersing itself and generating a new icon of spectacle. The interior shelters the memory of the institution’s past incarnation. Remnants of the façade are repurposed as both structure and reminder, maintaining an unbroken history. With the archive now hosted and retrieved off-site, the interior has been liberated for activities relating to the advancement of the Athenaeum’s mission. Spaces allow for the encouragement of discourse, and the hosting of events that celebrate and further two hundred plus years of the Athenaeum’s cultural and intellectual contributions that will serve as an identifying marker within Philadelphia.

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