Single Building: Phoenix Central Library: The Process of an Architectural Work

Book Description

The Burton Barr Central Library (Phoenix Central Library) has quickly become a point in the community's pride while serving as an exciting background to the region's library and information needs. It is a regular tour stop for visitors as well as architects and scholars from around the world. This architectural masterpiece works with the beautiful desert setting, and is designed to display the natural beauty of the West. The top of the library has a great public reading room, reminiscent of older libraries, with the entire non-fiction collection. The design is a mix of futuristic aspects combined with a respect for historical detail.

Customer Reviews:

A library on a shoestring.......2000-05-29

By the 1980's, Phoenix needed a new library.

The requirements were simple. It had to be downtown, which has the highest crime rate in the city including a murder rate that is eight times the national average. The chief librarian wanted a big box, "a warehouse for books." Only limited funds were available, and budgets were being trimmed for a library system that circulates more books for less money than any other city in the nation.

Phoenix itself is a "branch plant" town where out-of-state businesses build box-like factories for semi-skilled workers who assemble products. The major media are owned by out-of-state companies. The university is famed as one of the top party schools in the nation. The crime rate is among the highest in the nation, social services are among the lowest, the traditional architectural style is the strip mall and the modern version is faux theme park, while urban sprawl spreads faster than ragweed. The library site is between a parking lot and the lush green lawns of a city park.

This may sound familiar other hard-pressed city officials.

It's a classic case of downtown urban renewal. Dozens of cities have faced similar challenges, and many have renovated old neighborhoods and historic districts. In Phoenix, the decision was to build a state-of-the-art library as one of the crown jewels needed to revive the downtown.

The new library is primarily due to the leadership of an outstanding mayor -- Terry Goddard -- who recognized the importance that quality means to civic pride. The result is that Phoenix architect Will Bruder built one of the outstanding new libraries in the nation. This book is primarily photographs and drawings, showing how it came to be and what it is today. It will inspire any public official faced with the need to do a lot more with less, and to do it with beauty. It shows that outstanding civic quality is possible despite sometimes severe budget limitations, and that signature buildings can be built without raiding the public treasury.

The east and west sides are clad in copper, one of the four C's on which Arizona was founded -- copper, cotton, citrus and climate. South side windows are shaded by adjustable louvres, for protection against temperatures that can reach 122 degrees. North windows use fabric sails to cut the glare. Twelve inch thick concrete walls shade the main portion of the building, soaking up heat during the day and allowing it to dissipate easily at night instead of soaking into the building.

The fifth floor Reading Room was inspired, at least in part, by the Frank Lloyd Wright design of the Johnson Wax Building which features tall columns that flare out at the top like lily pads. Bruder did something different; he designed tall columns that taper toward the top like massive dinner candles, with a circular skylight above each. The columns are laced together with a network of cables on which the roof floats, free of the walls and the columns. The atmosphere is like being out of doors.

In Bruder's words, the library embodies his core philosophy "that real architecture exists when both pragmatism and poetry are served with equal passion."

This book expresses it well. It shows what a community can accomplish when civic officials are willing "to think outside the box." Civic officials contemplating a major project, whether they have ample budgets or not, will find this book is an inspiration to soar above mediocrity.

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Cecilia Vicuna: cloud-net
Surpik Angelini , Laura Hoptman , David Levi Strauss , and Cecilia Vicuna
Manufacturer: Art in General/DiverseWorks/ArtSpace/Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Artists, A-Z | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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Published to coincide with the twenty-fifth anniversary of his death, Marley Legend celebrates the life and work of Bob Marley in an authorized and fully illustrated biography. In the same interactive format as the best-selling Lennon Legend, this innovative book features rare photographs and 20 removable facsimiles, including Marley's handwritten lyrics and concert memorabilia, even a private sketchbook. The package also includes a 50-minute spoken word CD featuring archival Marley interviews. Rock journalist James Henke relates the dramatic story of Marley's life, from his impoverished childhood in Jamaica's Trenchtown to his spiritual awakening through Rastafarianism, his multinational musical success, and his death from cancer at age 36. In addition to interviews with Marley's family and associates conducted especially for this book, Henke includes thoughts on favorite Marley songs from such diverse artists as U2's Bono, Sean Paul, Ben Harper, and Chrissie Hynde. Marley's message was one of love, peace, and equality -- and in words and pictures, Marley Legend shows why Bob Marley is, as Entertainment Weekly recently called him, "still the world's biggest rock star."

Customer Reviews:

A Must for the true Marley Fan.......2006-12-30

When this was opened at X-mas, brought the recipient to tears. All the goodies packed into the book are amazing & worth every penny!

A NICE CELEBRATORY OVERVIEW..........2006-06-04

This is a nicely packaged (and slipcased) celebration of a reggae icon with beautiful pictures and interesting tidbits...the gatefolds and pockets with little surprises might become tiresome after a few browsings but Bob Marley is one those performers whose legend only grows with time and he is entirely deserving of this elaborate book. It's not too deep but then there are plenty of good books to choose from...in the end, it's all about the music.

MARLEY LEGEND: AN ILLUSTRATED LIFE OF BOB MARLEY

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MARLEY LEGEND: AN ILLUSTRATED LIFE OF BOB MARLEY
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It's off to the woods for Garfield, Jon, and Odie, camping in the great outdoors. But fun turns to fear when a panther escapes from a local zoo -- and heads straight for their campsite! It's the biggest challenge yet for the world's most famous feline and his pals!

Customer Reviews:

This is one the best garfield books........1999-08-11

I liked this book. It is very funny and exciting. It made me laugh very much. It is one of the funniest books I've ever read.

This book is one of the best Garfield books........1999-03-06

I really liked this book. It was very exiting at the end. I thought it was very funny too.

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Most books on allocating major corporate resources are written from just one viewpoint whether it be finance, strategy or behavioral science. Professor Tomkins argues that these important decisions obviously have multi-functional facets and implications. In this book he presents an integrated approach.

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This digital document is an article from Journal of the American Planning Association, published by American Planning Association on January 1, 2005. The length of the article is 1704 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Securing the Spectacular City: The Politics of Revitalization and Homelessness in Downtown Seattle

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Securing the Spectacular City: The Politics of Revitalization and Homelessness in Downtown Seattle
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Manufacturer: Lexington Books
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Theological Implications for Britain and Beyond.......2003-01-24

Ian Bradley invites us to think about the religious basis of the monarchy. He is faithful to this theme throughout the book. He speaks of recovery of the metaphysical imagination and "the revaluing of religion in contemporary Britain" (p.xix). His approach, however, has merit for revaluing (the Christian) religion outside Britain. In the chapters entitled, "Monarchy in the Old Testament" and "Monarchy in the New Testament", he offers a thorough treatment of the relationship to kingship of covenant spirituality with its roots in the scriptures. He makes the pertinent observation that "the kingdom theme in the New Testament has proved an even more problematic and controversial subject than that of monarchy in the Old testament" (p.25). To his credit he does not shy away from nor gloss over the problem areas in this relationship. Observations such that the visit of the magi places "no imperative on earthly rulers to surrender their crowns" and "Jesus does not reject the people's hailing of him as a king, but he does reject their expectation of what a king does" are typical of Bradley's insightful theological interpretation. He draws on a wide array of appropriate sources, academic and popular, but always with reference to his theme of relating spirituality and the British monarchy throughout the latter's history. As a theologian, I found his discussion about the spiritual significance to the Crown of Princess Diana's life and death enlightening and encouraging. From my perspective, living in Canada, he interprets her life and the public response to her death in a way that is not yet appreciated nor understood in North America. In contrast to Western postmodern self-centredness, I think that Bradley's assessment of the current debates about the monarchy are most informative, pertinent and significant. They offer a theological contribution to the discussion about the future role of the monarchy in Britain and on the world stage. Bradley notes that "theologically informed contributions to the debate on the future of the monarchy are few and far between" (p.180). His observation that debates about the future of the monarchy in contemporary Britain being conducted "outside the churches and the university theology departments, and in overwhelmingly secular terms" (p. 181), reminds me of the remark by a North American theologian. "The theologians have moved increasingly into the secular academy, where they cannot use a church or even the church as an automatic reference group." (Marty, M., 1980. North America: The empirical understanding of religion and theology, in Eliade, M & Tracey, D (eds), What is Religion? An Inquiry for Christian Theology. Concilium 136). With his book Bradley redresses the lack of theological appreciation of the monarchy to our benefit.

God Save the Queen : The Spiritual Dimension of Monarchy

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God Save the Queen : The Spiritual Dimension of Monarchy
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Maui Directions explores the island in its entirety, capturing the very best the island has to offer along the way: from the golden sand beaches of South Maui and historic Lahaina to magnificent Haleleakala Crater and the legendary road to Hana. The guide includes practical detail for outdoor enthusiasts - surfers, mountain bikers, divers and snorkellers. The full-colour ''ideas'' section with themed spreads of hidden beaches, great cafes, children''s attractions and other themes are all cross-referenced with the main part of the guide. Having this guide at your side is like having a local friend plan your trip.

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Hella Jongerius combines traditional craft techniques with high-tech materials and manufacturing to produce objects that are strikingly new and provocative; her unique talent has created increasing "buzz" in the design world. Since 2000, she has exhibited her own work at The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia, and the Museum of Art and Design in Helsinki, in addition to exhibitions with Droog Design in Frankfurt, Milan, and Jerusalem and several exhibitions in The Netherlands. Among Jongerius's designs are her "B-Set" dinnerware (1998), which consists of simple porcelain that is fired at ultra-hot temperatures so that it warps and the finish crackles; while the dishes are a series, no two pieces are alike. As Louise Shouwenberg has commented, "the result is not an anachronistically perfect dinner service; rather it is a wobbly pile of serially-produced one-offs: plates with a soul". Jongerius's "Soft Vases" (1994)!and "Pushed Soft Washtub" (1996) are cast in seamed polyurethane; and her new line of textiles for Maharan (2002) references classic old patterns and incorporates the dot patterns from the punchcards used to make the fabric. One of most talked-about designs to emerge from JongeriusLab is a high-tech modern folding chair based on an antique Ugandan wood chair. These designs and others at first glance can look familiar and simple, but behind the simplicity is Jongerius's careful consideration of an object's history, heritage, and archetypes. This monograph on Jongerius presents a visual "catalogue" of her career in a cinematic graphic layout, consisting of photographs and interview text running continuously from the front cover through the book pages to the back cover. Two essays by Louise Schouwenberg are interspersed within the book, addressing themes relating to Jongerius's work. Photographs by Joke Robaard show the objects in context, in factories, shops, museums, and studios in various countries. The photography aims to show the social and historic dimensions of the objects and Jongerius's approach. Also included are photographs by Jongerius of her design process over the years.

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Cast iron toys are among the hottest toy collectibles today. Some of the best known of these were made by Kenton, an Ohio firm that operated from the 1890s to the 1950s. Their famous Kenton toys include children's savings banks, toy stoves, trains, circus caravans, cars, fire trucks, nostalgic horse-and-buggy lines, and nodders, all identified and shown here in color photographs and original catalog illustrations. Most famous of all was the authentic Gene Autry toy pistol, which was unveiled in 1937. Two million of these were sold in the first year and a half, and the company prospered from the Singong Cowboy's popularity until 1951. This marvelously well-illustrated and researched book traces the history of Kenton from its days as a boomtown hardware manufacturer in the nineteenth century through the struggles of the two world wars. The growth of the American toy industry is reflected in the chronicle of this important company told with details from the company archives and with the engaging testimony of company employees. The story of Gene Autry's festive visit to Kenton is delightful!

Book Description

"One of the best dance books of the decade. In focusing on H'Doubler, a complicated woman who combined both vision and short-sightedness, Ross offers a fascinating look at how a generation of academic women exerted influence in universities during a moment when women were in the minority among faculty and administrators."- Mindy Aloff, dance critic for New Republic

Moving Lessons is an insightful and sophisticated look at the origins and influence of dance in American universities, focusing on Margaret H'Doubler, who established the first university courses and the first degree program in dance (at the University of Wisconsin). Dance educator and historian Janice Ross shows that H'Doubler (1889-1982) was both emblematic of her time and an innovator who made deep imprints in American culture. An authentic "New Woman," H'Doubler emerged from a sheltered female Victorian world to take action in the public sphere. She changed the way Americans thought, not just about female physicality but also about higher education for women.

Ross brings together many discourses-from dance history, pedagogical theory, women's history, feminist theory, American history, and the history of the body-in intelligent, exciting, and illuminating ways and adds a new chapter to each of them. She shows how H'Doubler, like Isadora Duncan and other modern dancers, helped to raise dance in the eyes of the middle class from its despised status as lower-class entertainment and "dangerous" social interaction to a serious enterprise. Taking a nuanced critical approach to the history of women's bodies and their representations, Moving Lessons fills a very large gap in the history of dance education.

"An impeccable work of archival scholarship and interpretive history, Ross's explorations of H'Doubler's biography, the details of her classes, and the more abstract unpacking of philosophical theories of learning are both inspiring and intelligent."-Sally Banes, author of Dancing Women: Female Bodies on Stage

"Intimate histories of dance in the American University are extremely rare. Janice Ross has written one that is not only a pleasure to read, it is a major contribution to understanding the development of dance in American higher education."-Elliot W. Eisner, professor of art and the Lee Jacks Professor of Education, Stanford University

Customer Reviews:

Great Book on Origins of Dance in American Universities.......2001-05-06

This is an excellent book that provides an illuminating history into the origins of dance in education, specifically in American Universities during the early 20th century. Special attention is paid to the influence of Margaret H'Doubler (1889-1982) who in addition to being a dance education pioneer, was a trained biologist who introduced her dance students to anatomical observation using a model skeleton prior to commencing their dance studies.

This is just one of many examples of the historical detail found throughout the text, which beyond being a scholarly work, offers many insightful views of the convergence of dance history, feminism, and the role of women in higher education.

I recommend this book to those interested in a superbly researched history of a dance education as well as those intrigued by the vision and struggles of pioneering women in American education such as H'Doubler.

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MOVING LESSONS MARGARET H'DOUBLER AND THE BEGINNING OF DANCE IN AMERICAN EDUCATION
Janice Ross
Manufacturer: University of Wisconsin Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000ORI6M8

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