Halifax Central Library | 27 m | 6 fl | Completed

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by RyeJay

Insight? I must have missed his political criticisms about public funding for the convention centre and for a potential stadium -- because I've only seem him complaining about the library.

I have no criticism about the convention center - the municipal funding is modest and a new facility is badly needed. The cost to HRM does not come close to the money pit that this library will be.

As for a stadium, while I have no doubt we require one - it is ridiculous for a city of this size not to have any sort of a facility at all - I am less certain about the funding model. Until a proposal actually surfaces I will not comment, unlike others who like to inflict opinions upon us in the absence of any facts.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by hoser111

Well I must say I was gobsmacked when reading the CH article regarding City Hall's environment committee recommending that municipal buildings should be built with wood (http://thechronicleherald.ca/metro/2...s-staff-report) and that Keith P. would rant in his comments against Jennifer Watts, and lo and behold, use our new library as an example why wood would be a bad idea! Really? Judith's library? lol

You are easily gobsmacked I guess. I may feel that a library of this scale and expense is a very bad idea, which it is. However, to then compound this mistake by attempting to build such a structure using wooden materials and construction techniques that are untried and likely hugely expensive and complex to build with would be a even more of an attack on the taxpayer, compounding the original error and imposing even more punitive costs on the hapless taxpayer. That was the point I made that obviously completely eluded you.

[hoser111]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

You are easily gobsmacked I guess. I may feel that a library of this scale and expense is a very bad idea, which it is. However, to then compound this mistake by attempting to build such a structure using wooden materials and construction techniques that are untried and likely hugely expensive and complex to build with would be a even more of an attack on the taxpayer, compounding the original error and imposing even more punitive costs on the hapless taxpayer. That was the point I made that obviously completely eluded you.

I quite got the point you were making your highness. You could've picked any structure in this city as an example, even the new bus terminal for crissake.. but you somehow chose the library to make your point....the structure you've been railing about for what, 54 pages now in this thread? I was merely surprised that hypocrisy was spelled with a K...

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by RyeJay

Insight? I must have missed his political criticisms about public funding for the convention centre and for a potential stadium -- because I've only seem him complaining about the library.

In all fairness to Keith P., he hasn't been strongly in favour of a stadium although he hasn't been strongly against it.

As for the convention centre, it has a history of bringing people to the city and generating millions of dollars a year in revenue, so there is a strong argument in favour of a new convention centre.

Although I am in favour of the new Central Library, it didn't require a business case to proceed and will be a money loser with little annual revenue. In spite of that fact, it is a grand public facility that creates excitement and will be a good gathering place for the community and useful for practical reasons (for example, some people might actually go there to read books ).

It should also be pointed out that the new Central Library was eligible for federal funding through the old stimulus program and also received provincial funding. Convention Centres are also facilities that the federal government likes to financially support. A $60 million dollar stadium was also on Mayor Kelly's wish list but didn't qualify for federal support and didn't receive provincial support.

[alps]

The new Beitou Public Library outside Taipei is a very beautiful wood building. Cost $3.7 million, though it's much smaller and labour is probably cheaper. I was struck that it had no air conditioning (very rare in these parts) but was naturally ventilated and was still comfortable in late summer.



(http://www.craigfergusonimages.com/w...i_7834_HDR.jpg)


(http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaqspho...ge/4344821885/)

One thing I sort of dislike after looking at the floorplans for the new Halifax library is the goofy way the stairs in the central atrium are laid out. All the cross bridges forming a sort of spiral may be architecturally striking, but I think it'd be really cumbersome for regular users and would only drive more people to use the elevators.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

Although I am in favour of the new Central Library, it didn't require a business case to proceed and will be a money loser with little annual revenue. In spite of that fact, it is a grand public facility that creates excitement and will be a good gathering place for the community and useful for practical reasons (for example, some people might actually go there to read books ).

It should also be pointed out that the new Central Library was eligible for federal funding through the old stimulus program and also received provincial funding. Convention Centres are also facilities that the federal government likes to financially support. A $60 million dollar stadium was also on Mayor Kelly's wish list but didn't qualify for federal support and didn't receive provincial support.

Exactly my point. Both will cost money in short term, but clearly have spinoffs. The library isn't going to have as much economic output as the nova centre... and that's fine!

The same points made against the nova centre could be applied to the library... I download most of my books now. That being said, we still need conventions / trade shows and we still need books/libraries.

I was just trying to say that its important to evaluate things in the same manner. Just because its a library doesn't mean its any more special than other pieces of infrastructure.

[eastcoastal]

Originally Posted by alps

The new Beitou Public Library outside Taipei is a very beautiful wood building. Cost $3.7 million, though it's much smaller and labour is probably cheaper. I was struck that it had no air conditioning (very rare in these parts) but was naturally ventilated and was still comfortable in late summer....

Interesting - I like the warmth. The interior spaces are certainly more intimately scaled than what we'll probably see in Halifax.

Originally Posted by alps

....
One thing I sort of dislike after looking at the floorplans for the new Halifax library is the goofy way the stairs in the central atrium are laid out. All the cross bridges forming a sort of spiral may be architecturally striking, but I think it'd be really cumbersome for regular users and would only drive more people to use the elevators.

Perhaps. I'd be more likely to take them because they look like fun. I'm not sure how long it would take before the novelty would wear off. On the other hand, I don't know that there I'd expect multiple up and down trips per visit. To me, the larger deterrent would be the overall distance that had to be travelled (and 5 storeys is not outrageous).

In any case, I think I remember a couple other stairs on the east and west sides of the floorplate that are standard - you can use those when you tire of the architectural whimsy. I hope they're not emergency only.

[SekishikiMeikaiHa]

Weekly updates:

[lmccabe55]

"A $1 million gift from O’Regan’s Automotive Group to the Halifax Central Library was announced a few moments ago." - via Haligonia

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by lmccabe55

"A $1 million gift from O’Regan’s Automotive Group to the Halifax Central Library was announced a few moments ago." - via Haligonia

Great! All Queen Judith needs to do now is find 54 other gazillionaire families to give her a mil each and we can all leave this shrine happy.

[CdnEh]

335 public access computers?

Lawd - no shortage there.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by CdnEh

335 public access computers?

Lawd - no shortage there.

In Queen Judith's world, nothing succeeds like excess. This entire thing is a monument to that philosophy.

But thank God for the O'Regan family. Those gold-plated faucets for her private washroom don't come cheap, y'know.

BTW, this got almost zero coverage, but as of the last formal update on the project, it is already $2 million over budget.

[scooby074]

Originally Posted by CdnEh

335 public access computers?

Lawd - no shortage there.

That sounds "excessive"

[SekishikiMeikaiHa]

Weekly updates:

[kph06]

A couple from Citadel Hill by me:

[kph06]

Photos by me from today:

[Keith P.]

Ah, the sight of a 6% tax increase in 2013...

[SekishikiMeikaiHa]

My last weekly updates of the year. Be back in four weeks. Happy Holidays!

[RyeJay]

Happy Holidays, SekishikiMeikaiHa!!

Thank you so much for your frequent picture updates

I get to contribute today as well:

[someone123]

That is an unusual and interesting angle (and it will get even more interesting when the Nova Centre really gets going). Definitely a candidate for the Canada section.

I am looking forward to seeing work begin on the upper floors that will be offset from the lower stack of floors. Looks like that is not far off.