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Sciences Library (Brown University)
Encyclopedia
The Sciences Library, nicknamed the "SciLi", at Brown University
is a high-rise building in Providence
, Rhode Island
built in 1971. At 180 feet (54.9 m), it is tied with One Citizens Plaza
as the 13th-tallest building in the city. The building houses Brown University
's primary on-campus collections for the physical sciences.
Completed in the Brutalist architectural style, the building is Brown University
's primary science library. Faced with the desire for rigorous expansion but little real estate available, the school's solution was the creation of the first high-rise library in the world.
Clashing with late 19th century and early 20th century colonial revival
houses and abutting street-level shopping on Thayer Street
, the Science Library is often seen as an imposing and obtrusive addition to College Hill
. Architectural historian McKenzie Woodward condemns the building as "overwhelm[ing] everything around it", even comparing it to a Soviet-era Panelák
when viewed from its "all-too-many distant viewing perspectives".
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
is a high-rise building in Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
built in 1971. At 180 feet (54.9 m), it is tied with One Citizens Plaza
One Citizens Plaza
One Citizens Plaza is a 13-story office building in Providence, Rhode Island situated at the confluence of the Moshassuck and Woonasquatucket Rivers. It is the headquarters of Citizens Bank...
as the 13th-tallest building in the city. The building houses Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
's primary on-campus collections for the physical sciences.
Completed in the Brutalist architectural style, the building is Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
's primary science library. Faced with the desire for rigorous expansion but little real estate available, the school's solution was the creation of the first high-rise library in the world.
Clashing with late 19th century and early 20th century colonial revival
Colonial Revival architecture
The Colonial Revival was a nationalistic architectural style, garden design, and interior design movement in the United States which sought to revive elements of Georgian architecture, part of a broader Colonial Revival Movement in the arts. In the early 1890s Americans began to value their own...
houses and abutting street-level shopping on Thayer Street
Thayer Street
Thayer Street in Providence, Rhode Island is a popular destination for students of the area's nearby schools of Brown University, Moses Brown School, Wheeler School, RISD, Providence College, Johnson & Wales University, and Rhode Island College....
, the Science Library is often seen as an imposing and obtrusive addition to College Hill
College Hill, Providence, Rhode Island
College Hill is a neighborhood in Providence, Rhode Island, and one of six neighborhoods comprising the East Side of Providence and part of College Hill Historic District. It is roughly bounded by North Main Street to the west, Power Street to the south, Governor Street and Arlington Avenue to...
. Architectural historian McKenzie Woodward condemns the building as "overwhelm[ing] everything around it", even comparing it to a Soviet-era Panelák
Panelák
is a colloquial term in Czech and Slovak for a panel building constructed of pre-fabricated, pre-stressed concrete, such as those extant in Czech Republic and elsewhere in the former Soviet bloc...
when viewed from its "all-too-many distant viewing perspectives".