Save Kent Library
Target:
Suffield Town Officials
Sponsored by:
Don't Demolish Landmark Library
Modern Design Makes Suffield Building Well Worth Keeping
The Kent Memorial Library in Suffield, a rare and remarkable work of modern architecture by an accomplished Connecticut architect, Warren Platner, is going to be needlessly and heedlessly demolished. In its place will be a new, much larger building that is likely to be quite ordinary.
Suffield officials offer the usual reasons why their current library building should be demolished. It is overcrowded, not energy-efficient, its systems are old and the roof leaks. Designed to hold 51,000 books, the library holds 91,000. Three times as many people use the library as in the 1970s. According to current building codes, some spaces are not considered accessible to the disabled and, built a decade before America saw the Apple Macintosh, its design did not anticipate the e-resources we now take for granted.
These are not the faults of the building; they are a function of the passage of time and could readily be corrected. The building has been well cared-for. It was built with stone, brick, concrete and wood to last generations. As for energy efficiency, it could take generations of reduced energy costs in a new building to pay for the cost of demolition, the cost of replacement and the loss of the embedded energy in the existing building.
Suffield's thrifty New England forefathers would never have done such a thing. They would have added and renovated. With sound, practical reasons to save the Kent Memorial Library aplenty, the real reason it should not be demolished is because it is irreplaceable.
The artfully wrought interior space is a revelation of the capacity we have as humans to appreciate and enjoy the world we live in - and to interpret and share our experience through the things we make. Very few libraries treat the book or the reader with such honor and care, and with as much attention to the act of reading. Each of its public spaces was conceived as a room, like the library in a house, as a warm and intimate space that welcomes the individual.
And because for reading there must be light, its spaces have abundant natural light. And because one of the purposes of reading is to increase our knowledge and appreciation of the world we live in, the building has large windows that connect indoors to outdoors, placing the act of reading in the world that the reader inhabits.
As accomplished in interior architecture as any architect of his generation, Platner also took care to ensure that the library building was as at home in its outdoor setting as a wing chair by an open hearth. White-painted brick on a plinth of Connecticut's Stony Creek granite, and with broad, deep roof overhangs, the current Suffield library fits beautifully into its setting.
It is dedicated to being a New England building - a Main Street building - doing everything that its residential neighbors do, but at an elevated scale, and with materials that are noble and intended to last.
The Kent Memorial Library is modern - unlike its neighbors. But these neighbors run the style spectrum from American Vernacular, Georgian, Carpenter Gothic and Greek Revival to Victorian, Italianate and Federal style. Each house, when built, was in one of the styles of the day. Each was an expression of a larger, more sophisticated world, brought home. Although each house is somewhat different from its neighbors, each house is placed on a lawn and framed by trees, which creates a sense of unity.
Warren Platner's library conforms closely to this pattern - built in a style of its time, set on its lawn and framed by its trees. It is part of that unity.
It is common for one generation to devalue the artifacts of a previous generation, and to remove to the attic the once-cherished objects of its parents, only to witness with a kind of bemused but pleased surprise a succeeding generation recover them to places of honor. If, perhaps, the special qualities of the Kent Memorial Library are lost on Suffield today, they will be rediscovered by a next generation - or would be, if the library remained.
Outside Suffield there is already that next generation, one that does not want to see the best architecture of the modern period disappear. Too many beautiful modern buildings in Connecticut are already gone and those left to save are sadly few. Warren Platner's vision of what a public library can be, and how it can touch us, is a gift of the human spirit, which is something of immeasurable value.
It was a gift not to only to Suffield and to Connecticut, but to America. It would be a needless shame if, in Suffield, the current generation were to close its ears now to what it knows others are saying about its library, only to hear in just a few years from their children about how much they regret both the loss of their unique library and the unfortunate decision of their parents to do away with it.
By RICHARD MUNDAY
September 30, 2007
Richard Munday, AIA, is a partner in the New Haven architecture firm of Herbert S. Newman and Partners.
Modern Design Makes Suffield Building Well Worth Keeping
The Kent Memorial Library in Suffield, a rare and remarkable work of modern architecture by an accomplished Connecticut architect, Warren Platner, is going to be needlessly and heedlessly demolished. In its place will be a new, much larger building that is likely to be quite ordinary.
Suffield officials offer the usual reasons why their current library building should be demolished. It is overcrowded, not energy-efficient, its systems are old and the roof leaks. Designed to hold 51,000 books, the library holds 91,000. Three times as many people use the library as in the 1970s. According to current building codes, some spaces are not considered accessible to the disabled and, built a decade before America saw the Apple Macintosh, its design did not anticipate the e-resources we now take for granted.
These are not the faults of the building; they are a function of the passage of time and could readily be corrected. The building has been well cared-for. It was built with stone, brick, concrete and wood to last generations. As for energy efficiency, it could take generations of reduced energy costs in a new building to pay for the cost of demolition, the cost of replacement and the loss of the embedded energy in the existing building.
Suffield's thrifty New England forefathers would never have done such a thing. They would have added and renovated. With sound, practical reasons to save the Kent Memorial Library aplenty, the real reason it should not be demolished is because it is irreplaceable.
The artfully wrought interior space is a revelation of the capacity we have as humans to appreciate and enjoy the world we live in - and to interpret and share our experience through the things we make. Very few libraries treat the book or the reader with such honor and care, and with as much attention to the act of reading. Each of its public spaces was conceived as a room, like the library in a house, as a warm and intimate space that welcomes the individual.
And because for reading there must be light, its spaces have abundant natural light. And because one of the purposes of reading is to increase our knowledge and appreciation of the world we live in, the building has large windows that connect indoors to outdoors, placing the act of reading in the world that the reader inhabits.
As accomplished in interior architecture as any architect of his generation, Platner also took care to ensure that the library building was as at home in its outdoor setting as a wing chair by an open hearth. White-painted brick on a plinth of Connecticut's Stony Creek granite, and with broad, deep roof overhangs, the current Suffield library fits beautifully into its setting.
It is dedicated to being a New England building - a Main Street building - doing everything that its residential neighbors do, but at an elevated scale, and with materials that are noble and intended to last.
The Kent Memorial Library is modern - unlike its neighbors. But these neighbors run the style spectrum from American Vernacular, Georgian, Carpenter Gothic and Greek Revival to Victorian, Italianate and Federal style. Each house, when built, was in one of the styles of the day. Each was an expression of a larger, more sophisticated world, brought home. Although each house is somewhat different from its neighbors, each house is placed on a lawn and framed by trees, which creates a sense of unity.
Warren Platner's library conforms closely to this pattern - built in a style of its time, set on its lawn and framed by its trees. It is part of that unity.
It is common for one generation to devalue the artifacts of a previous generation, and to remove to the attic the once-cherished objects of its parents, only to witness with a kind of bemused but pleased surprise a succeeding generation recover them to places of honor. If, perhaps, the special qualities of the Kent Memorial Library are lost on Suffield today, they will be rediscovered by a next generation - or would be, if the library remained.
Outside Suffield there is already that next generation, one that does not want to see the best architecture of the modern period disappear. Too many beautiful modern buildings in Connecticut are already gone and those left to save are sadly few. Warren Platner's vision of what a public library can be, and how it can touch us, is a gift of the human spirit, which is something of immeasurable value.
It was a gift not to only to Suffield and to Connecticut, but to America. It would be a needless shame if, in Suffield, the current generation were to close its ears now to what it knows others are saying about its library, only to hear in just a few years from their children about how much they regret both the loss of their unique library and the unfortunate decision of their parents to do away with it.
By RICHARD MUNDAY
September 30, 2007
Richard Munday, AIA, is a partner in the New Haven architecture firm of Herbert S. Newman and Partners.
Don't Demolish Landmark Library
Modern Design Makes Suffield Building Well Worth Keeping
The Kent Memorial Library in Suffield, a rare and remarkable work of modern architecture by an accomplished Connecticut architect, Warren Platner, is going to be needlessly and heedlessly demolished. In its place will be a new, much larger building that is likely to be quite ordinary.
Suffield officials offer the usual reasons why their current library building should be demolished. It is overcrowded, not energy-efficient, its systems are old and the roof leaks. Designed to hold 51,000 books, the library holds 91,000. Three times as many people use the library as in the 1970s. According to current building codes, some spaces are not considered accessible to the disabled and, built a decade before America saw the Apple Macintosh, its design did not anticipate the e-resources we now take for granted.
These are not the faults of the building; they are a function of the passage of time and could readily be corrected. The building has been well cared-for. It was built with stone, brick, concrete and wood to last generations. As for energy efficiency, it could take generations of reduced energy costs in a new building to pay for the cost of demolition, the cost of replacement and the loss of the embedded energy in the existing building.
Suffield's thrifty New England forefathers would never have done such a thing. They would have added and renovated. With sound, practical reasons to save the Kent Memorial Library aplenty, the real reason it should not be demolished is because it is irreplaceable.
The artfully wrought interior space is a revelation of the capacity we have as humans to appreciate and enjoy the world we live in - and to interpret and share our experience through the things we make. Very few libraries treat the book or the reader with such honor and care, and with as much attention to the act of reading. Each of its public spaces was conceived as a room, like the library in a house, as a warm and intimate space that welcomes the individual.
And because for reading there must be light, its spaces have abundant natural light. And because one of the purposes of reading is to increase our knowledge and appreciation of the world we live in, the building has large windows that connect indoors to outdoors, placing the act of reading in the world that the reader inhabits.
As accomplished in interior architecture as any architect of his generation, Platner also took care to ensure that the library building was as at home in its outdoor setting as a wing chair by an open hearth. White-painted brick on a plinth of Connecticut's Stony Creek granite, and with broad, deep roof overhangs, the current Suffield library fits beautifully into its setting.
It is dedicated to being a New England building - a Main Street building - doing everything that its residential neighbors do, but at an elevated scale, and with materials that are noble and intended to last.
The Kent Memorial Library is modern - unlike its neighbors. But these neighbors run the style spectrum from American Vernacular, Georgian, Carpenter Gothic and Greek Revival to Victorian, Italianate and Federal style. Each house, when built, was in one of the styles of the day. Each was an expression of a larger, more sophisticated world, brought home. Although each house is somewhat different from its neighbors, each house is placed on a lawn and framed by trees, which creates a sense of unity.
Warren Platner's library conforms closely to this pattern - built in a style of its time, set on its lawn and framed by its trees. It is part of that unity.
It is common for one generation to devalue the artifacts of a previous generation, and to remove to the attic the once-cherished objects of its parents, only to witness with a kind of bemused but pleased surprise a succeeding generation recover them to places of honor. If, perhaps, the special qualities of the Kent Memorial Library are lost on Suffield today, they will be rediscovered by a next generation - or would be, if the library remained.
Outside Suffield there is already that next generation, one that does not want to see the best architecture of the modern period disappear. Too many beautiful modern buildings in Connecticut are already gone and those left to save are sadly few. Warren Platner's vision of what a public library can be, and how it can touch us, is a gift of the human spirit, which is something of immeasurable value.
It was a gift not to only to Suffield and to Connecticut, but to America. It would be a needless shame if, in Suffield, the current generation were to close its ears now to what it knows others are saying about its library, only to hear in just a few years from their children about how much they regret both the loss of their unique library and the unfortunate decision of their parents to do away with it.
By RICHARD MUNDAY
September 30, 2007
Richard Munday, AIA, is a partner in the New Haven architecture firm of Herbert S. Newman and Partners.
Modern Design Makes Suffield Building Well Worth Keeping
The Kent Memorial Library in Suffield, a rare and remarkable work of modern architecture by an accomplished Connecticut architect, Warren Platner, is going to be needlessly and heedlessly demolished. In its place will be a new, much larger building that is likely to be quite ordinary.
Suffield officials offer the usual reasons why their current library building should be demolished. It is overcrowded, not energy-efficient, its systems are old and the roof leaks. Designed to hold 51,000 books, the library holds 91,000. Three times as many people use the library as in the 1970s. According to current building codes, some spaces are not considered accessible to the disabled and, built a decade before America saw the Apple Macintosh, its design did not anticipate the e-resources we now take for granted.
These are not the faults of the building; they are a function of the passage of time and could readily be corrected. The building has been well cared-for. It was built with stone, brick, concrete and wood to last generations. As for energy efficiency, it could take generations of reduced energy costs in a new building to pay for the cost of demolition, the cost of replacement and the loss of the embedded energy in the existing building.
Suffield's thrifty New England forefathers would never have done such a thing. They would have added and renovated. With sound, practical reasons to save the Kent Memorial Library aplenty, the real reason it should not be demolished is because it is irreplaceable.
The artfully wrought interior space is a revelation of the capacity we have as humans to appreciate and enjoy the world we live in - and to interpret and share our experience through the things we make. Very few libraries treat the book or the reader with such honor and care, and with as much attention to the act of reading. Each of its public spaces was conceived as a room, like the library in a house, as a warm and intimate space that welcomes the individual.
And because for reading there must be light, its spaces have abundant natural light. And because one of the purposes of reading is to increase our knowledge and appreciation of the world we live in, the building has large windows that connect indoors to outdoors, placing the act of reading in the world that the reader inhabits.
As accomplished in interior architecture as any architect of his generation, Platner also took care to ensure that the library building was as at home in its outdoor setting as a wing chair by an open hearth. White-painted brick on a plinth of Connecticut's Stony Creek granite, and with broad, deep roof overhangs, the current Suffield library fits beautifully into its setting.
It is dedicated to being a New England building - a Main Street building - doing everything that its residential neighbors do, but at an elevated scale, and with materials that are noble and intended to last.
The Kent Memorial Library is modern - unlike its neighbors. But these neighbors run the style spectrum from American Vernacular, Georgian, Carpenter Gothic and Greek Revival to Victorian, Italianate and Federal style. Each house, when built, was in one of the styles of the day. Each was an expression of a larger, more sophisticated world, brought home. Although each house is somewhat different from its neighbors, each house is placed on a lawn and framed by trees, which creates a sense of unity.
Warren Platner's library conforms closely to this pattern - built in a style of its time, set on its lawn and framed by its trees. It is part of that unity.
It is common for one generation to devalue the artifacts of a previous generation, and to remove to the attic the once-cherished objects of its parents, only to witness with a kind of bemused but pleased surprise a succeeding generation recover them to places of honor. If, perhaps, the special qualities of the Kent Memorial Library are lost on Suffield today, they will be rediscovered by a next generation - or would be, if the library remained.
Outside Suffield there is already that next generation, one that does not want to see the best architecture of the modern period disappear. Too many beautiful modern buildings in Connecticut are already gone and those left to save are sadly few. Warren Platner's vision of what a public library can be, and how it can touch us, is a gift of the human spirit, which is something of immeasurable value.
It was a gift not to only to Suffield and to Connecticut, but to America. It would be a needless shame if, in Suffield, the current generation were to close its ears now to what it knows others are saying about its library, only to hear in just a few years from their children about how much they regret both the loss of their unique library and the unfortunate decision of their parents to do away with it.
By RICHARD MUNDAY
September 30, 2007
Richard Munday, AIA, is a partner in the New Haven architecture firm of Herbert S. Newman and Partners.
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We signed the "Save Kent Library" petition!
# 157:
5:08 am PDT, Jul 23,
Paula Lucas, Connecticut
Apparently there is a prevailing misconception that people who are against the current proposed razing of the Kent and replacing it with a new structure are ignorant, short sighted and cheap. The majority NO vote on July 22 was a vote of no confidence. The proposed library project offered to the citizens was not acceptable on many levels. Aesthetically speaking, it looked like a cross between a factory and a town garage. I am not against expansion or renovation while preserving the integrity and unique architectural design of the Kent. What I'm against is a few people trying to bully the rest of the town into funding a bad idea.
Apparently there is a prevailing misconception that people who are against the current proposed razing of the Kent and replacing it with a new structure are ignorant, short sighted and cheap. The majority NO vote on July 22 was a vote of no confidence. The proposed library project offered to the citizens was not acceptable on many levels. Aesthetically speaking, it looked like a cross between a factory and a town garage. I am not against expansion or renovation while preserving the integrity and unique architectural design of the Kent. What I'm against is a few people trying to bully the rest of the town into funding a bad idea.
# 156:
3:54 pm PDT, Jul 14,
Peter Bowman, Connecticut
# 155:
4:21 pm PDT, Jul 12,
John Boyer, Connecticut
Warren Platner's striking building is one the most beautiful and original in Suffield. To destroy it would be a senseless act of barbarism, comparable to the destruction of Richard Neutra's Maslon House or Frank Lloyd Wright's Larkin Building. Surely the expanding needs of Suffield's library system and the need to preserve our architectural heritage can both be accomodated?
Warren Platner's striking building is one the most beautiful and original in Suffield. To destroy it would be a senseless act of barbarism, comparable to the destruction of Richard Neutra's Maslon House or Frank Lloyd Wright's Larkin Building. Surely the expanding needs of Suffield's library system and the need to preserve our architectural heritage can both be accomodated?
# 154:
6:36 am PDT, Jul 9,
Holly Lorinser, Connecticut
# 153:
11:16 pm PDT, Jul 8,
Anna Brice, Australia
Don't underestimate the value of the architecture in your town. If you save it, you will be rewarded in more ways than you may anticipate.
Don't underestimate the value of the architecture in your town. If you save it, you will be rewarded in more ways than you may anticipate.
# 152:
11:55 am PDT, Jul 7,
Mary Thorp, West Virginia
I am committed, like many others, to have the Kent Library building saved. This issue isn't about having a new library. It's about saving the Warren Platner building. I think both can happen. I have been documenting all the sculptures of Harry Bertoia, a colleague of Platner's, over the last 10 years to write a Catalogue Raisonn`e on his work. I also worked for 9 months with Platner to publish a book of his work over his lifetime. One of those included "Windows on the World" at the top of one of the World Trade Center towers. Platner died in 2004. This and other of his buildings are important parts of the all-to-recent Mid-20th Century period. Already buildings are gone that we will regret in the future. Please listen to those who have the foresight/vision to save this treasure.
I am committed, like many others, to have the Kent Library building saved. This issue isn't about having a new library. It's about saving the Warren Platner building. I think both can happen. I have been documenting all the sculptures of Harry Bertoia, a colleague of Platner's, over the last 10 years to write a Catalogue Raisonn`e on his work. I also worked for 9 months with Platner to publish a book of his work over his lifetime. One of those included "Windows on the World" at the top of one of the World Trade Center towers. Platner died in 2004. This and other of his buildings are important parts of the all-to-recent Mid-20th Century period. Already buildings are gone that we will regret in the future. Please listen to those who have the foresight/vision to save this treasure.
# 151:
10:28 am PDT, Jul 3,
Bekah Hayes, California
This library brings joy to a lot of people, and should not be left to fall into disrepair. Don't be careless with an institution so fundamental to education, community and the environment.
This library brings joy to a lot of people, and should not be left to fall into disrepair. Don't be careless with an institution so fundamental to education, community and the environment.
# 150:
8:00 am PDT, Jul 2,
Steve Gallo, Connecticut
For more impact, add a personal comment here that will be rotated on the front page of SaveKent.com!
For more impact, add a personal comment here that will be rotated on the front page of SaveKent.com!
# 149:
4:49 pm PDT, Jul 1,
Paula Gallo, Connecticut
Warren Platner's beautiful builing gives grace to our town and our lives. I am so proud that Suffield had the vision so many years ago to build it and I am deeply saddened to think that we could just tear it down simply because it needs a little work like it was some fast food restaurant that was thrown up overnight. Remember when they wanted to tear down the Old State House in Hartford and build a parking garage?
Warren Platner's beautiful builing gives grace to our town and our lives. I am so proud that Suffield had the vision so many years ago to build it and I am deeply saddened to think that we could just tear it down simply because it needs a little work like it was some fast food restaurant that was thrown up overnight. Remember when they wanted to tear down the Old State House in Hartford and build a parking garage?
# 148:
8:24 pm PDT, Jun 20,
Graham Hebel, Connecticut
# 147:
10:25 am PDT, Jun 19,
James Elmasry, Connecticut
# 146:
5:04 pm PDT, Jun 18,
Name not displayed, Connecticut
# 145:
11:04 am PDT, Jun 18,
Howard Hebel, Connecticut
Kent Memorial Library does more than merely warehouse printed matter and provide information services. Its generous transparencies open serene reading spaces to the light and beauty of Suffield's green landscape, reminding readers of the world beyond books while encouraging their thoughts to extend without limits. Strategically placed volumes transform books into the symbolic "pillars" of the libary, against which light plays delightfully and between which space flows elegantly. This building celebrates the quintessential human search for truth and declares Suffield's civic pride in supporting fellow searchers.
Kent Memorial Library does more than merely warehouse printed matter and provide information services. Its generous transparencies open serene reading spaces to the light and beauty of Suffield's green landscape, reminding readers of the world beyond books while encouraging their thoughts to extend without limits. Strategically placed volumes transform books into the symbolic "pillars" of the libary, against which light plays delightfully and between which space flows elegantly. This building celebrates the quintessential human search for truth and declares Suffield's civic pride in supporting fellow searchers.
# 144:
8:37 am PDT, Jun 18,
Helen Hamilton, United Kingdom
# 143:
7:44 am PDT, Jun 18,
Shawna Bartkus, Connecticut
# 142:
11:28 am PDT, Jun 15,
Paula Mohr, Iowa
# 141:
6:25 am PDT, Jun 14,
Kathleen Randall, New York
Modern movement architecture is historic architecture. The Kent Library is an important work of the period and deserves the same attention and protections as buildings of earlier periods. A complimentary addition could be built to Platner's building so the richness of Modern architecture in Connecticut will live on.
Modern movement architecture is historic architecture. The Kent Library is an important work of the period and deserves the same attention and protections as buildings of earlier periods. A complimentary addition could be built to Platner's building so the richness of Modern architecture in Connecticut will live on.
# 140:
11:05 am PDT, Jun 13,
Beth Dodd, Texas
Kent Library is a destination for many interested in our architectural heritage. Please don't forget to factor historic buildings into your heritage tourism. It makes dollars and sense. Beth Dodd, Head Librarian, Architecture and Planning Library, University of Texas Libraries & Curator, Alexander Architectural Archive.
Kent Library is a destination for many interested in our architectural heritage. Please don't forget to factor historic buildings into your heritage tourism. It makes dollars and sense. Beth Dodd, Head Librarian, Architecture and Planning Library, University of Texas Libraries & Curator, Alexander Architectural Archive.
# 139:
5:38 am PDT, Jun 13,
Name not displayed, Vermont
# 138:
1:54 pm PDT, Jun 12,
John Dixon, Connecticut
This building is a fine and unusual example of Modern architecture, well related to the landscape and environment. It is also a major civic asset, contributed for the public benefit. It is hard to believe the evolving needs of Kent can't be served by expanding it on its obviously generous site, rather than demolishing it. John Morris Dixon, FAIA (Fellow of the American Institute of Architects)
This building is a fine and unusual example of Modern architecture, well related to the landscape and environment. It is also a major civic asset, contributed for the public benefit. It is hard to believe the evolving needs of Kent can't be served by expanding it on its obviously generous site, rather than demolishing it. John Morris Dixon, FAIA (Fellow of the American Institute of Architects)
# 137:
12:29 pm PDT, Jun 12,
Curtis Eaton, New York
There are many examples of civic buildings being retrofitted and/or enlarged to meet modern demands. One example I am familiar with, that has gotten national attention, is the City Hall Annex in Cambridge, MA. Constructed as a school in the 19th century, it was eventually aquired by the city. Thanks to the city, it is now LEEDS certified and back in service as a civic building that is something the citizens of Cambridge can be proud of. Good luck on your deliberations.
There are many examples of civic buildings being retrofitted and/or enlarged to meet modern demands. One example I am familiar with, that has gotten national attention, is the City Hall Annex in Cambridge, MA. Constructed as a school in the 19th century, it was eventually aquired by the city. Thanks to the city, it is now LEEDS certified and back in service as a civic building that is something the citizens of Cambridge can be proud of. Good luck on your deliberations.
# 136:
11:56 am PDT, Jun 12,
Mark Abraham, Connecticut
# 135:
11:40 am PDT, Jun 12,
David Pinyerd, Oregon
# 134:
10:48 am PDT, Jun 12,
Hansel Hernandez, New York
This is a worthy and significant example of modern heritage and deserves to be saved and used for our future generations. Is it any greener or cost effective to demolish and build anew? The answer is no. The new structure should be designed for the existing site and to include the existing building.
This is a worthy and significant example of modern heritage and deserves to be saved and used for our future generations. Is it any greener or cost effective to demolish and build anew? The answer is no. The new structure should be designed for the existing site and to include the existing building.
# 133:
9:21 am PDT, Jun 12,
Devin Colman, Vermont
Architectural resources such as the Kent Library are essential to understanding our modern built environment. There must be a means of designing a sensitive addition to the existing building that respects the integrity of the original design. Be creative, and save the Kent Library!
Architectural resources such as the Kent Library are essential to understanding our modern built environment. There must be a means of designing a sensitive addition to the existing building that respects the integrity of the original design. Be creative, and save the Kent Library!
# 132:
9:10 am PDT, Jun 12,
Kyle Johnson, New York
As sustainable design becomes increasingly imperative, it is inexcusable to even consider demolishing a building of such distinction, rather than renovating and/or adding to it as necessary to address current programmatic needs.
As sustainable design becomes increasingly imperative, it is inexcusable to even consider demolishing a building of such distinction, rather than renovating and/or adding to it as necessary to address current programmatic needs.
# 131:
8:18 am PDT, Jun 12,
Elizabeth F. Penny Jones, Virginia
Modern design is important! Renovate the library and keep your history.
Modern design is important! Renovate the library and keep your history.
# 130:
7:28 am PDT, Jun 12,
Jerry A. McCoy, Maryland
The fact that a high-end furniture sales outlet such as Design Within Reach currently lists seven REPRODUCTION Warren Platner-designed pieces, ranging in price from $662 to $2,848 ( see http://tinyurl.com/5hvnfp ), should give Kent city officials reason to ponder the "wiseness" of tearing down this landmark structure! Jerry A. McCoy President, Silver Spring Historical Society sshistory.org
The fact that a high-end furniture sales outlet such as Design Within Reach currently lists seven REPRODUCTION Warren Platner-designed pieces, ranging in price from $662 to $2,848 ( see http://tinyurl.com/5hvnfp ), should give Kent city officials reason to ponder the "wiseness" of tearing down this landmark structure! Jerry A. McCoy President, Silver Spring Historical Society sshistory.org
# 129:
6:47 am PDT, Jun 12,
Elizabeth Butman, Texas
# 128:
6:21 am PDT, Jun 12,
Frampton Tolbert, New York
# 127:
5:56 am PDT, Jun 12,
Alex Lehman, Connecticut
# 126:
5:50 am PDT, Jun 12,
Alicia Cox, Connecticut
# 125:
8:48 pm PDT, Jun 11,
Evelyn Vosti, California
It is ironic that I recently learned about the potential plans for a new library. For the past two years I have been a frequent visitor of Kent Memorial. While visiting my daughter at Suffield Academy, Kent Memorial offered me an "office" and, at times, a refuge. I live in San Francisco and I can tell you how fortunate you are to have such a conducive environment that offers so much. I was also aware of how quite different the structure was from the historical "Suffield" architecture, but it worked, at least for me. The best part, was the times I came after 3:00 when school was out - all the kids sitting outside on the steps, working/playing on the computers - there is something about that place that draws you in. I hope the people "in charge" are prepared to re-create something that can't quite be explained.
It is ironic that I recently learned about the potential plans for a new library. For the past two years I have been a frequent visitor of Kent Memorial. While visiting my daughter at Suffield Academy, Kent Memorial offered me an "office" and, at times, a refuge. I live in San Francisco and I can tell you how fortunate you are to have such a conducive environment that offers so much. I was also aware of how quite different the structure was from the historical "Suffield" architecture, but it worked, at least for me. The best part, was the times I came after 3:00 when school was out - all the kids sitting outside on the steps, working/playing on the computers - there is something about that place that draws you in. I hope the people "in charge" are prepared to re-create something that can't quite be explained.
# 124:
|
6:00 pm PDT, Jun 11,
Christine French, Virginia
Please save this great building! Check out the Recent Past Preservation Network to see how modern structures can contribute to the history of your community. www.recentpast.org |
# 123:
8:05 am PDT, Jun 9,
Name not displayed, Connecticut
# 122:
5:06 pm PDT, Jun 8,
Judy McCoubrey, Pennsylvania
# 121:
10:49 am PDT, Jun 8,
Martha Finney, Pennsylvania
# 120:
8:02 am PDT, Jun 8,
Gwen Emery, Connecticut
Before the library was completed the teenagers in Suffield did not have a place to gather. Upon completion this became their home. What an honor and tribute!
Before the library was completed the teenagers in Suffield did not have a place to gather. Upon completion this became their home. What an honor and tribute!
# 119:
12:58 pm PDT, Jun 6,
David Rodrigues, Connecticut
# 118:
12:36 pm PDT, Jun 6,
Raymond Terry, Connecticut
this would be short sighted, a waste of a beautiful building that could be meaningfully reused. there should be an exploration committee.
this would be short sighted, a waste of a beautiful building that could be meaningfully reused. there should be an exploration committee.
# 117:
12:19 pm PDT, Jun 6,
Stephen Heussler, Connecticut
We will be judged not by the monuments we build but by those we have destroyed.
We will be judged not by the monuments we build but by those we have destroyed.
# 116:
11:43 am PDT, Jun 6,
Alek Juskevice, Connecticut
Warren Platner is an architect of enormous distinction. This building is a jewel box and a monument from our recent past. It's significance has not yet been fully studied, nor properly understood. It would be a shame to loose this building, especially so soon after the death of this great Connecticut Architect. It would be wonderful if as a society, we could celebrate our home grown achievements, however quirky they may be perceived as being. By demolishing this building, we are denying our own history and individual expression.
Warren Platner is an architect of enormous distinction. This building is a jewel box and a monument from our recent past. It's significance has not yet been fully studied, nor properly understood. It would be a shame to loose this building, especially so soon after the death of this great Connecticut Architect. It would be wonderful if as a society, we could celebrate our home grown achievements, however quirky they may be perceived as being. By demolishing this building, we are denying our own history and individual expression.
# 115:
9:59 am PDT, Jun 6,
Claude Watt Jr., Connecticut
In this period of history when resources are limited any decision to demolish a facility needs to wieghed against the option of restoration alterations and expansion. The Kent Library has merrit, but has fallen victim to its on popularity. Embrace the historical value of this faility and allow it to be a part of the future it's earned. Claude Watt Commissioner New Haven Historic Distric Commission
In this period of history when resources are limited any decision to demolish a facility needs to wieghed against the option of restoration alterations and expansion. The Kent Library has merrit, but has fallen victim to its on popularity. Embrace the historical value of this faility and allow it to be a part of the future it's earned. Claude Watt Commissioner New Haven Historic Distric Commission
# 114:
9:02 am PDT, Jun 6,
Giovanna Pucci, Connecticut
# 113:
8:58 am PDT, Jun 6,
Thomas DiBlasi, Connecticut
# 112:
7:54 am PDT, Jun 6,
Austin Fischer, Connecticut
# 111:
2:31 pm PDT, Jun 5,
Arch Currie, Connecticut
Apart from the appropriate honor and respect a treasure deserves, the demolition or abandonment of a viable structure represents an indefensible waste of resource. All of us need to be more conscientious about how we affect our planet, while we preserve the humanity upon which we thrive.
Apart from the appropriate honor and respect a treasure deserves, the demolition or abandonment of a viable structure represents an indefensible waste of resource. All of us need to be more conscientious about how we affect our planet, while we preserve the humanity upon which we thrive.
# 110:
1:40 pm PDT, Jun 5,
Herbert S Newman, Connecticut
This building should be saved. It is part of Suffield's, Connecticut's, and America's history. It could be used as a community building, museum or restaurant if not a library. It is a treasure!
This building should be saved. It is part of Suffield's, Connecticut's, and America's history. It could be used as a community building, museum or restaurant if not a library. It is a treasure!
# 109:
1:13 pm PDT, Jun 5,
Ewa Buttolph, Connecticut
The case of the Kent Memorial Library in Suffield is an example of how little homage is paid to past architecture – in this case good architecture – and, as happens all too often, public and private donors’ money vanishes. To even think about demolition of a public building which has a lot of charm, not to mention historical value for other generations to see and use, is painful. I must assume that my attitude on the matter is not a voice in the wilderness. It should seem obvious to the people of Suffield that a campaign could and should be started to save this local icon from demolition. This perspective unfortunately extends not only to buildings but to our daily life. We are all too ready to throw out and replace, tear down and rebuild, erase and usher in a new face, a new fad, without sufficient thought for what exists. As a society, we are spoiled, and our children mimic that example. We might better change our attitude and be more modest. Prosperity is not eternal. Spaces can be improved, renovated, enlarged, built underground or in the vicinity – there are many options to consider, but we must want to search for these options. Things CAN be reconsidered. I hope this will be the case with the Kent Memorial Library in Suffield and that the word “Memorial” - contained in the title - will be considered and understood, and respected.
The case of the Kent Memorial Library in Suffield is an example of how little homage is paid to past architecture – in this case good architecture – and, as happens all too often, public and private donors’ money vanishes. To even think about demolition of a public building which has a lot of charm, not to mention historical value for other generations to see and use, is painful. I must assume that my attitude on the matter is not a voice in the wilderness. It should seem obvious to the people of Suffield that a campaign could and should be started to save this local icon from demolition. This perspective unfortunately extends not only to buildings but to our daily life. We are all too ready to throw out and replace, tear down and rebuild, erase and usher in a new face, a new fad, without sufficient thought for what exists. As a society, we are spoiled, and our children mimic that example. We might better change our attitude and be more modest. Prosperity is not eternal. Spaces can be improved, renovated, enlarged, built underground or in the vicinity – there are many options to consider, but we must want to search for these options. Things CAN be reconsidered. I hope this will be the case with the Kent Memorial Library in Suffield and that the word “Memorial” - contained in the title - will be considered and understood, and respected.
# 108:
1:05 pm PDT, Jun 5,
Peter Newman, Connecticut
It seems as though the decision to demolish the library is driven by the relative ease of doing so. Yes, saving the library might be a challenging process for the town officials that are charged with governing this process, but should the fate of this library and the great contribution that it makes to the town center be determined by what is EASIEST ? Many other communities have shown the courage and insight to challenge themselves to do that which requires more attention and a higher level of oversight.The deliberation over "what should be done" has not been sufficiently vetted by objective expertise.I implore the Town of Suffield to reconsider this extremely important and irreversible decision.I can only believe that those championing this demolition have little understanding of the richness and architectural variety that the library contributes to this lovely town.If the final decision is to demolish, the town must DEMAND a replacement with qualities that aim to surpass this modernist gem. Can you imagine an anonymous, nostalgic image of a library as a viable replacement ? SAVE THE SHAME AND EMBARRASMENT and SAVE THE KENT LIBRARY
It seems as though the decision to demolish the library is driven by the relative ease of doing so. Yes, saving the library might be a challenging process for the town officials that are charged with governing this process, but should the fate of this library and the great contribution that it makes to the town center be determined by what is EASIEST ? Many other communities have shown the courage and insight to challenge themselves to do that which requires more attention and a higher level of oversight.The deliberation over "what should be done" has not been sufficiently vetted by objective expertise.I implore the Town of Suffield to reconsider this extremely important and irreversible decision.I can only believe that those championing this demolition have little understanding of the richness and architectural variety that the library contributes to this lovely town.If the final decision is to demolish, the town must DEMAND a replacement with qualities that aim to surpass this modernist gem. Can you imagine an anonymous, nostalgic image of a library as a viable replacement ? SAVE THE SHAME AND EMBARRASMENT and SAVE THE KENT LIBRARY
# 107:
9:43 am PDT, Jun 5,
Michelle Ariola, Connecticut
# 106:
8:16 am PDT, Jun 5,
David Thompson, Connecticut
# 105:
7:12 pm PDT, Jun 4,
George Knight, Connecticut
# 104:
4:44 pm PDT, Jun 4,
Aaron Robbins, Connecticut
Whats wrong with an upgrade and addition? Surely an amazing building like this could be an inspiration to a young designer. Why not have a contest for the best design that would encompass the existing building's unique features with a touch of new.
Whats wrong with an upgrade and addition? Surely an amazing building like this could be an inspiration to a young designer. Why not have a contest for the best design that would encompass the existing building's unique features with a touch of new.
# 103:
9:26 am PDT, Jun 4,
John Roche, New York
# 102:
7:37 am PDT, Jun 4,
Paul Roche, Connecticut
# 101:
7:35 am PDT, Jun 4,
Name not displayed, Connecticut
It appears that the ingenuity and creativity in designing and constructing this building should be as important as those same features as the books housed inside. Imagine demolishing the leaning tower of Pisa because it was crooked!! The nuances of the architectural features of this library are astounding. I'm sure once those features are understood, some other accomodations could be made rather than tearing it down.
It appears that the ingenuity and creativity in designing and constructing this building should be as important as those same features as the books housed inside. Imagine demolishing the leaning tower of Pisa because it was crooked!! The nuances of the architectural features of this library are astounding. I'm sure once those features are understood, some other accomodations could be made rather than tearing it down.
