Comprehensive Studio
Milwaukee Rare Books Archive
Aerial view with surrounding context
Ground Floor Plan with Site Context
The building translates its urban context into two primary gestures: a brick footprint echoing City Hall and a cantilevered glass lantern inspired by the BMO building.
The height of the footprint is contextual to its adjacencies by matching the negative and positive spaces. The primary program is then centered in the massing, cantilevered over the entry, and directly addresses the street corner.
Milwaukee Rare Books Archive
Milwaukee Rare Books Archive
Aerial view with surrounding context
Transverse Section
Built In desk for Staff
Interior Render of Reading Room
The Milwaukee Rare Books Archive focuses on two simple principles: contextual and sustainable design. The design acknowledges these two principles as a growing issue within the profession and responds with a poem:
In the cover of night, When the noise subsides, The world, now silent, does not invite. Against the shadows, courage glides, And a beacon of light resides. - Bryan Ramirez
Second Floor Plan
Third Floor Plan
Fourth Floor Plan
Built In High Top for Cafe Users
Built In Reading Nooks for Archive Browsers
