The University of Arizona Poetry Center: A Harmonious Blend of Architecture and Literature

Line and Space, llc's Award-Winning Design Balances Functionality and Aesthetics

Line and Space, llc, a renowned architectural firm, was driven by concepts of accessibility and the connection between architecture, poetry, and readers in designing this facility. The Poetry Center houses the most outstanding collection of contemporary poetry in the US. The design offers visitors a blend of outdoor gathering spaces and comfortable places of solitude and contemplation. Security in this user-specific public facility is seamlessly integrated into the architecture, addressing the Center's need for safe and monitored storage of archival, sensitive materials.

The design of the Poetry Center stands out for its unique features. Southern windows protected by overhangs allow daylight into the spaces, while the west elevation, with minimal fenestrations, provides a barrier from traffic noise and mitigates direct solar heat gain. This design reduces demand on the mechanical system. On the east, a “binary wall” shades the bamboo garden, celebrating a line from a Richard Shelton poem (“you shall learn the art of silence”) with holes punched out in binary code.

The Poetry Center, spanning 18,000 square feet, houses over 70,000 shelved volumes. The design team prioritized the use of natural materials for their durability and longevity in the harsh Sonoran Desert environment. These include exposed concrete, concrete masonry, steel, and glass. The design was realized using physical modeling, SketchUp, AutoCAD, and 3DS Max for rendering.

The design concept was conceived as a “progression towards solitude.” Starting from the west, an active humanities seminar room with transparent walls can be opened, allowing flexibility within the shaded transition space. Moving east, public functions dissolve into more intimate spaces within the collection, leading to the bamboo garden, an outdoor area of solitude and contemplation.

The project, located within the Sonoran Desert on the University of Arizona campus in Tucson, Arizona, USA, started in 2003 and was completed in 2011. The design team faced several challenges, including the need to balance active discourse and quiet solitude, natural light and protection from its destructive UV nature, intimacy with the books and the reality of housing 70,000 volumes, and security while making the poetry readily accessible to all. These contradictions inherent in combining a valuable collection with an active university and community resource drove the design concepts.

The University of Arizona Poetry Center was awarded the Golden A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award in 2017. This award recognizes marvelous, outstanding, and trendsetting creations that reflect the designer's prodigy and wisdom. They are venerated products and bright ideas that advance art, science, design, and technology, embodying extraordinary excellence and significantly impacting the world with their desirable characteristics.