The #StKildaLibrary was designed by #EnricoTaglietti, and built 1971-73. Often called #Brutalist cos of the #offformconcrete, I’d say it’s really an interpretation of #FrankLloydWright, with all that horizontality and #batteredwalls, but it’s a great interpretation! Love the wacky angled gap/windows and the attention to detail.
Tagleitti was an Italian architect who came out in 1955 to do an Italian display at David Jones in Sydney, then set up practice in Canberra , where he has many built projects (notably the #DicksonLibrary ). So he sits with the other Australian FLW interpreters, but also the Italian tradition of being, you know, out there.
Facing south on a busy road it’s hard to photograph, and it made more of an impression originally when it had a large courtyard and the tall central skylight tower provided a vertical counterpoint. The courtyard was mostly infilled in 1994 by an extension by #AARMarchitecture, which has its own great bits. Mr Taglietti himself was less than impressed though, thought it totally disregarded the original and wondered why he hadn’t been consulted (enricotaglietti.com). Last two photos are the back, which is done in brick, which I spose was cheaper, but still looks great.
#StKildaLibrary book return was originally a set of floating platforms, it’s now a ramp, with stainless steel handrails, which is a pity, I think maybe I would have preferred it went to the extension, less intrusive, tho it’s fun to kind of interact with the building this way – love the cut into the wall base lip thing.
The inside of the #StKildaLibrary has some great bits, which I now realise are the former #offformconcrete external walls that ended up inside when the courtyard was filled in by the extensions of 1994 by #ARMarchitecure.
Open book in stone ? The main front of the 1994 extension to the #StKildaLibrary by #ARMarchitecture. I had to be told, I didn’t see it immediately. In fact it’s an odd book, curling out again, rather Baroque actually (as Richard Petersen pointed out in his essay for the #StKildaHistoricalSociety). I like it.
Storey of Melbourne 