Caution Sails
Final installation at Niagara Falls Public Library, courtesy of Gregory Delaney
Published February 7, 2023
Caution sails culminated from a Fall 2020 urban design studio, Building Brydges, where students were tasked with looking at the Niagara Falls Public Library and asked to take an in-depth look at the library’s history, architecture and its architect, Paul Rudolph
The research phase of the project sought to assess the current challenges of the Niagara Falls Public Library. One maintenance issue that stood out was the caution tape adorning half the stacks in the main reading room. With the library’s heaving floor being an issue, the temporary solution caused a secondary problem - the image and perception of the building. The studio took this maintenance problem as an opportunity to introduce solutions to the building. The students investigated how a design intervention could affect positive change in the long term. Their solution was a type of barrier that could also generate a fun and warm visual for the community.
Thirteen perforated Dacron (an elastic polyester fabric) screens complement the angular forms and accents of the library’s architecture. These orange sails provide a temporary solution that clearly cordons off the stacks, while maintaining a visual porosity and elegance in line with the library’s image. The chosen color draws inspiration from Paul Rudolph's use of paprika orange, seen in many of his other architectural designs including the library’s auditorium and stairway.
In addition to closing off physical access, their shape, apertures, and materiality allow for visual porosity and provide a path for light to pass through. The screens are independently mounted and portable, giving the library the choice to rearrange and form a new pattern or rhythm within the building’s reading room. The sails work to strengthen the community by reengaging with the library as a community landmark.
The School of Architecture and Planning extends a special thank you to the Niagara Falls Public Library, Sarah Potwin, Courtney Geerhart, and the Niagara Falls Public Library Board of Trustees for this opportunity.
Students
Design Team: John Lauder, Brian Nicpon, Austin Wyles
Fabrication Team: Rocco Battista, Denice Guillermo, John Lauder, Katerina Nelson, Revathi Nithipalan, Nicole Stout, Cole Wishman
Faculty
Gregory Delaney, Brett Doster
Term
Independent Study, ARC 605, Urban Design, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Spring 2021
Program
MArch, BS Arch