Architecture of the Athenaeum

PHILADELPHIA’S LUXURIOUS LIBRARY

Photograph taken by the author on October 3, 2019

The Athenaeum of Philadelphia

219 South 6th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106

William Ross

December 4, 2019

Abstract:

The Athenaeum of Philadelphia is a membership-based private library that was created in 1814 in order to provide access and storage for useful information. The process of selecting and modifying the design and construction of the Athenaeum’s building, completed in 1847, is a historical example of successfully navigating between cost-effectiveness and fashionable aesthetics in architecture within the larger context of relevant historical events and precedents. For this research, scholarly publications were reviewed and compared. An interview and building tour was also conducted with the Athenaeum’s Curator of Architecture on this subject. This paper will explore how economics, other institutions, personal connections, design precedents, and innovations culminated in the Athenaeum building that exists today. This paper offers a deeper understanding about the origins of the Athenaeum building that may enrich the reader’s knowledge base should he or she encounter similar projects in the future.

New Project: Four Hours In, Renderings

Today, I started working on this project: I am designing a row house that will fit between two existing row houses that are 18 feet apart with a depth of 40 feet to work with.

This is what I have been able to develop over the last four hours today, and I'm curious what input others might have. Take a look:

Exteriors:

North Facing Street View 

(There are extant buildings on either side of this lot that will share party walls. Brick is a local cheap material that will help keep costs down while matching the existing building fabric)