July 12, 2006

	click image to view larger Courtesy of the Harvard University Archives
	Courtesy of Harvard College Library

Alterations to a quiet poetry room, designed by Alvar Aalto for Harvard’s Lamont Library, have sparked protest from members of the university’s Graduate School of Design (GSD) and others in the preservation community. The work is currently under way inside the Woodberry Poetry Reading Room, which was designed in 1949 and is one of only four Aalto projects in America. The 1,030-square-foot room was designed for the intimate enjoyment of poetry. Four consoles were equipped with record players, and ambient lighting and comfortable seating enhanced the contemplative atmosphere.

The Woodberry is cited as a fine example of both midcentury interiors and of Aalto’s execution of design that completely integrates finishes, furnishings, and lighting. Toshiko Mori, FAIA, chair of the Department of Architecture at GSD, calls this room “one of the greatest examples in this country of total design.”

Harvard plans to update the room’s technological capacity and replace worn-out elements. Two of the consoles have been removed, and the remaining two will be converted into reading tables. One of the bookshelves is cited as a security concern and will be taken out to provide librarians with a more unobstructed view. Also, the room will be equipped for computer use; digital recordings will coexist with vinyl. Einhorn Yafee Prescott principal David Fixler, AIA, the historic preservation specialist consulting on the project, says the rest of the room will be untouched.

Mori spearheaded the faculty protest and has, along with GSD alumnus Frederic Schwartz, FAIA, initiated a letter-writing campaign against the project. Mori learned of the renovation from an anonymous letter and has requested a stay of execution on a “very drastic renovation that removes any trace of Aalto.”

“This reading room is highly significant and quite rare,” says John Stubbs, World Monuments Fund vice president of field projects, who has gotten involved with Mori’s campaign. “It should be one of the gems in the crown of America’s greatest university.”

Fixler calls Mori’s response an “overreaction,” noting, “Preservation is about adapting buildings and managing change. He adds that Aalto would have disapproved of freezing the room in a historical moment.

With backing from historic preservationists as well as from faculty from Harvard and other institutions, Mori hopes to force a reconsideration of the renovation. The project, which began June 9, was originally scheduled for completion by September. John Gendall

John Gendall

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