CASE STUDY OF PHILIPS EXETER LIBRARY

ntroduction The outer area, which houses the reading carrels, is made
Project: Phillips Exeter Academy Library of brick. The middle area, which contains the heavy book
Architect: Louis l. Kahn stacks, is made of reinforce concrete. The inner area is an
Location: Exeter, New Hampshire atrium.
Year Built: 1967-1972 The central room is 52 feet (15.8 m) high, as measured
from the floor to the beginning of the roof structure, and
The Phillips Exeter Academy Library in Exeter, New
32 feet 9.8 m) wide.
Hampshire, U.S., with 160,000 volumes on nine levels
The library has an almost cubical shape: each of its four
and a shelf capacity of 250,000 volumes is a part of
sides is 111 feet (33 m) wide and 80 feet (24 m) tall.
the Phillips Exeter Academy, an independent boarding
Proper ventilation ; Modernity ; Monumentality usage
school.
Seating area segregated.
Circulation : Form Transformation
The circulation at Phillips Exeter Academy Library
is
a loop that circles around an open space. The
books
and necessary spaces are on the outside of the
loop.
but the center will contain the study space. around
Natural Light:
which will be
This library thelight
has books. photocopiers.
coming in and circulation Structure:
desk, etc. from four sides and the center.
reflecting Pushing the structure away from the
Nearly all of the building gets natural center allows light in, While the four
light. columns near the center define the
Modernity: Basic Shape which is circulation loop.
Annual High Temperature:14.3 degree The Phillip Exeter Library was designed for the user.
being incorporated in a design.
The first 4 levels use not only the two main central
Square Celsius
Circle Low temperature:1.5 degree Celsius. vertical circulation points throughout the building,
Triangle. Average Temperature:7.9 degree Celsius. but also houses the entrance staircase accessible
Functionally sound from the outside on the ground level.
•Cubical shape
Mezzanine Area is segregated according to the floor With two central vertical circulation points, not
•Area:1089 sq mts
More natural usage of lights including the first 4 levels, The Exeter Library is very
•Each side 111m
user friendly.
Exeter Library plan Minimize the usage of artificial lights •Height:24m
The circulation remains the same for levels 2
through 4 even though the spatial layout varies from
Construction Materials:
7.Periodicals Librarians Zoning:
floor to floor.
office
4.Periodicals reading
area

5. Periodicals stack
Travertine Marble
6.Carrels
5
3 3.Periodical Room
Poured Concrete
2

1
White oak
2.Entrance 1.Arcade
Teak

Granite

Slate

Bricks

KARTIK(A-05) UDHAY(B-19) HEMA(B-27) MOUNIKA(B