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Originally Posted by denizen467
I certainly have, and have been blessed with the opportunity to sit in a great variety of chairs. (The obvious clever response here would be "You've apparently never spent a lot of time in a library then," but there is not a need to go there.) And why are lazyboy comfy chairs, of the ultra deluxe variety, the only other possible alternative to consider here?
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My point was more that I don't think I've ever been to a formal library reading room where there is anything other than solid wood chairs. I can't even recall seeing chairs with fabric. I know Loyola's Art Deco library room has only solid wood chairs at its tables.
And yes, the likely alternative in such a setting would be some sort of ultra plush chair. Loyola's new IC which is an attempt to create a more casual study environment is filled with them as are parts of the Reg.
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You can't just look at the fact that it's form-fitting wood. You have to consider the height of the back, whether any flexibility is built in (cantilever or otherwise), and, more importantly, the fact any surface with a lack of friction means the body must expend energy to stay on the chair or else limit the number of postures one can sit in when exhausted in the middle of the night. Also if one has a fat wallet in a back pocket it will become very uncomfortable after a while.
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I don't see anything wrong with the height of the back and I don't buy that a wood surface chair requires the body to "constantly expend energy". As I said before, I find that molded plywood scoops up the body and comfortably enforces good posture. The only way you'll be sliding out of those chairs is if you are slouching down in them like one would in a lounge chair, which is exactly my point, this is not that kind of an environment. Molded plywood is also known for having just the right amount of spring in it to provide some flexibility while remaining firm, I doubt that will be an issue. Fact is you can say they don't look comfortable all you want, but you won't know unless you try them.
PS if you are carrying a fat wallet around in your back pocket that's your own damn fault. That's a good way to A. Get pick-pocketed and B. give yourself back problems. Also, is it really that hard to just remove the offending wallet from your pocket while you sit? I know I remove my keys (which I keep there instead of wallet which goes in front right pocket to keep it safe) whenever I sit down.
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Jahn turns out beautiful designs but he has a history of largely ignoring the practical long-term maintenance and usage needs of his projects. Is it really smart to have a hard, slick floor, with those chairs, in a library reading room (not the stacks or corridors)? Even just sliding a chair over a bit as one walks away or arrives at a table will cause the chairs to clank against each other. And notice there are no soft surfaces here to absorb sounds (normally there are at least books and shelves; nothing here seems to be replacing that function with this unique underground design). Do people remember what it's like to be in a college library in the winter -- if you got 50 people in one area, you're guaranteed to end up with a couple coughs per minute. Nowadays, people got laptops that click and beep and cellphones that vibrate, chirp, etc. It looks as though this will be as much an acoustic nightmare as it is beautiful. Classic Jahn.
I can only assume this isn't meant as a major study library, but just for reference while accessing the stacks below.
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Again, I don't think this is going to be an issue. The entire IC at Loyola is precast concrete and glass and there is no issue. Most classical reading rooms are cavernous halls with stone walls, wood ceilings and marble floors and its never and issue there. Acoustics is a lot more than "are there any soft surfaces" and I am wiling to bet an acoustics expert is a always a key player in a project of this scale and caliber. I know you were just ripping on me for saying this before, but are you sure you've ever been to a library? Because I can't recall a single major library I've been too that didn't have a massive, hard surfaced, reading room with echo-y, yet pleasant acoustics. The Reg lacks such a formal space right now and this is meant to fill that role.
For example, Loyola University's reading room:
hedlundarchitects.com
You tell me what in that room is going to absorb sound and what on those chairs is different from the Jahn chairs. This is a perfectly functional room and an epic space. Massive image here:
http://www.luc.edu/campus_reservatio...L/Donovan3.JPG
Another fine example; New York Public Library Reading Room:
amirsudjono.com
Again, what is absorbing sound here other than the row of books along the bottom? Just look at all those poor bookworms struggling mightily to keep themselves from flying off those frictionless wood chairs! I think you are expecting this room to be something it's not supposed to be. This isn't a "cuddle up for an all nighter" area. This is a "I need to read this book and take notes" area. If people want to get all warm and snuggly they will do it in the welcoming depths of the Reg.
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