Two architectural firms, Cesar Pelli & Associates Inc. based in New Haven, Conn., and Foster and Partners from London, England, have taken their names off the short list of firms being considered for designing Seattle's new Central Library downtown.
Cesar Pelli & Associates Inc., and Foster and Partners were among five firms selected to continue into the second phase of the interview process by an Architect Advisory Panel and the Seattle Public Library board of trustees. Twenty-nine major national, international and local firms originally sought the opportunity to compete for the $156 million design project.
The two firms eliminated themselves before the next round of interviews next week - which include opportunities for the public to hear from and meet the design teams. Finalists Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership, Portland and Seattle; Steven Holl Architects, New York; and Office for Metropolitan Architects, Netherlands, will present their work at a public forum from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, May 10, at Benaroya Hall, Recital Hall. Each firm will also be given a design assignment to work on. That evening, the public is invited to meet the architects beginning at 7 p.m. in the Arctic Building, 700 3rd Ave., Dome Room, Seattle.
The public is also invited to hear the firms present the results of their design assignments from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 12, at the Central Library, 1000 4th Ave., Lee Auditorium. Design books, articles and other information on the firms is available for review in Fine and Performing Arts Department of the Central Library. Each branch library also has copies of each firm's original proposal in response to the Library's advertisements soliciting architects for the project.
The Library Board will be taking public comments at its meeting in the Lee Auditorium at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 18, which is also the earliest date the board may make a final decision on an architect. The Architect Advisory Panel will also be making a recommendation of an architect to the board.
Capital Program Director Alexandra Harris said the scheduled events for the architects next week "require an enormous amount of time and energy from the firms and everyone involved in the selection process. If firms had any doubts in their commitments to participate in the process, we wanted them to tell us now." She added that a strong international economic environment also contributes to a situation where "firms of this caliber have many different choices of projects to pursue." City Librarian Deborah L. Jacobs said the board and the advisory panel "are very comfortable with the list as it stands."
She emphasized that the public process included as part of the interview is "representative of the project itself - the firm chosen will have a heavy diet of public involvement and interest. We need to know this project is important to them because it will demand their attention and dedication." Jacobs said she is enthusiastic about moving forward on selecting an architect that will build a world class library that serves the diverse constituencies in this city. "The central library must be designed, above all, to work for people - it must be beautiful, functional, accessible and adaptable. I am confident that together we will create a building that belongs at the heart of a great city. Our goal is nothing less than excellence for the new central library."
For more information on the Library's building program, visit the Library's Web site: www.spl.org and click on Libraries for All capital projects.
(For more information, contact Andra Addison, public information officer, at 206-386-4103, or andra.addison@spl.org)
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Content modified: 4 May 1999
12/30/2005
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