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Slusser Memorial Library
Tucson
Line and Space
Native Stone Unifies Desert Library
with Historic Context
© Colby Campbell |
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& drawings' above.
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behind this project click on 'people & products.'
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Located adjacent to the existing
Postal History Foundation, the new Slusser Memorial Library
provides a forum to display postal history, with an emphasis
on flexibility and maintaining special areas for users and
collections. In advance of design, the architects performed
an extensive contextual analysis of the historical neighborhood,
which revealed a scale and material’s palette that informed
the design of the library.
The result places value on quality,
a sense of unity with the surroundings, and the creation of
a low maintenance and cost effective structure. Concrete block,
clad with stucco to help the structure blend into the environment,
was chosen as the primary building material. Natural stone
veneer for the angled entry wall evokes a strong reference
to the use of stone in neighboring historic buildings. Openings
and concrete projections provide an exciting visual dynamic.
The facility uses the appropriate technology
and passive responses to mediate the harsh Tucson microclimate.
Large roof overhangs shade the floor to ceiling windows of
the reading room and provide a thermal and visual transition
from the harsh exterior sun to the cooler, darker interior.
Formal name
of building:
Slusser Memorial Library
Location:
Tucson, Ariz.
Gross square
footage:
3900 sf.
Total construction
cost:
$450,000
Client:
Postal History Foundation
Architect's
firm:
Line and Space, LLC
627 East Speedway
Tucson, Arizona 85705
Phone (520) 623-1313
Fax (520) 623-1303
Linespace@aol.com
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