Two down, two to go! Lets keep rolling!
The Mount Angel Abbey Library is one of five american works by the architect Alvar Aalto. Like most projects we study in architecture school, it is amazing. The library’s main attraction is the curved day-lighting feature that allows gentle light into the entire space. Though this portion of the project is the most prominent, I’m going to limit myself to three photos:
And one detail photo:
But there is beauty everywhere in this project, and shines in the attention to detail.
The exterior of the building is extremely underwhelming, but I documented it regardless.
I think the most interesting part of the Mount Angel Library is the experience of the space. We study plans and sections and photos of this project in school, but the quality of space is never really translated until you experience it first hand.
Way to go Alvar Aalto. You make sense to me now.
OH! 
Great photos! We become too mentally attached to the reused images of important buildings we see in Arch History 101 and don’t get to appreciate things about these buildings we’re never shown…….
Absolutely. Or the alternative, in which we are shown only the beautiful parts and are oblivious to a building’s failures. Thanks so much!