Cut To Fit

For this project, we had to design a Mediatheque.

The project specifications were defined as follows: "A new Mediatheque is proposed for a vacant site on Loyola Avenue in New Orleans.

The Mediatheque will augment and enhance the functions of the existing New Orleans Public Library, currently located a few blocks away from the proposed Mediatheque on Loyola Avenue.

The program of a Mediatheque differs from a Library in that it engages many forms of information and culture in addition to books and other traditional media.

As such, the Mediatheque is equal parts gallery, library, school, meeting facility, and cultural hub for the Greater New Orleans community."

I began designing my mediatheque by first analyzing the existing conditions of the site. The site is a parking lot that sits directly across the street from the Post Office and Federal Building downtown. My focus for this design was to create a space that was divided by the proportions of a square.

Both interior and exterior spaces are proportional creating a balance between inside and out. I continued to emphasize proportions with the skin of the building by developing a pixelized pattern of squares for window openings. My design concept was a combination of visual connections, proportions, and integrated spaces which created a flow of movement to different pieces of the program.

These pictures are a 1/4=1'-0" scale detail model of the project. Materials used were basswood, chipboard, and plexiglass.

Photos by Stacy West