Ground Zero, UBC
The folks at UBC’s Main Library are keeping themselves pretty busy with construction. In case you haven’t been around the library lately (maybe you work on the far side of campus, or maybe you don’t even go to UBC … or maybe, you don’t even live in Canada!), they are currently undergoing a major process that involves tearing down all of the Main Library except for the 1920s gothic core. Say bye-bye to the Riddington Room. It’s gone. And they’re starting to tear down most of the old stacks, too.
It’s been quite the war zone around the library since the beginning of September, which is why I’ve chosen to call this series of photos Ground Zero, UBC, which adequately (in exaggerated terms) reflects the destruction around the library.
Looking through a chain-link fence to wear the north-wing (housing the Riddington Room) once stood. Earlier this week, there was more frame and less … nothing.
Looking through the same fencing, you can now see the Brock Hall Annex behind Ground Zero.
The development plan.
They seem to have patched up the “gothic core”. The few days that I attempted to do some work out of the Chapman Learning Commons, the construction noise was quite unbearable. I also saw them at some point removing some of the old stones that were placed onto the nasty 50s additions they were taking down. I assume they will be replacing these onto the original core, or onto the new extension when it goes up.
The same shot from a different angle.
All that remains of the north wing. It’s kind of sad to see it reduced to nothing.
This is a part of the stacks that they have started to dismantle.
This shows quite nicely how they have separated the north wing from the rear extension of the building.
All the glass has been removed.
… and you can see all the way through the building.
It feels a bit like an end of an era that I haven’t been around long enough to really see. The new plans include an automated book retrieval system in the new Main Library. They have a fancy name for the new centre — named after the person who donated all the cash to build the project. But I suppose it had to go — studies had shown that there was a 99% probability of being killed or injured or something or another during an earthquake in the Main Library. Something had to be done.
