Thesis Project
Grämiger, Gregory
Libraries and other collections are showplaces for knowledge. This research project therefore regards the architecture of such institutions not as a mere envelope, but rather as a spatial design for collections of information.
Rooms designed for collections initially had to meet practical requirements. The exhibits were to be displayed, but at the same time had to be protected from weather, fire, and not least from theft. In addition, however, collections have always had to be arranged. The arrangements served not only to preserve the objects in an efficient way and enable them to be quickly located; such needs were always accompanied by theoretical considerations about ways in which current views of knowledge should be applied to the spatial arrangement of a collection. This made the architecture of collection spaces into a readable symbol that was deliberately displayed, and which also made references both to literary models and to the ownership of the collection. It is not surprising, therefore, that limited space and rigid furnishings in the buildings created for collections led to constant conflict with the ideal arrangements that had been conceived.
The rise of the natural sciences in the early modern period led to the construction of specific building types. The library as a store of knowledge was accompanied by collection spaces designed for empirical research, such as botanic gardens and natural history collections, which contrasted the descriptions of the world recorded in books with the real objects they referred to. These entered into a close spatial connection with libraries, as the objects had to be compared with paper knowledge and the resulting discoveries had to be stored in book form. The various types of collection space complemented each other not only at the practical level, but also at a symbolic level.
The focus of this research project is on a detailed study of scholarly collection spaces at the University of Leiden in the period 1575–1700. The University’s library, botanic garden, anatomy theatre and cabinets of curiosities are placed in an international context.
Grämiger, Gregory
Libraries and other collections are showplaces for knowledge. This research project therefore regards the architecture of such institutions not as a mere envelope, but rather as a spatial design for collections of information.
Rooms designed for collections initially had to meet practical requirements. The exhibits were to be displayed, but at the same time had to be protected from weather, fire, and not least from theft. In addition, however, collections have always had to be arranged. The arrangements served not only to preserve the objects in an efficient way and enable them to be quickly located; such needs were always accompanied by theoretical considerations about ways in which current views of knowledge should be applied to the spatial arrangement of a collection. This made the architecture of collection spaces into a readable symbol that was deliberately displayed, and which also made references both to literary models and to the ownership of the collection. It is not surprising, therefore, that limited space and rigid furnishings in the buildings created for collections led to constant conflict with the ideal arrangements that had been conceived.
The rise of the natural sciences in the early modern period led to the construction of specific building types. The library as a store of knowledge was accompanied by collection spaces designed for empirical research, such as botanic gardens and natural history collections, which contrasted the descriptions of the world recorded in books with the real objects they referred to. These entered into a close spatial connection with libraries, as the objects had to be compared with paper knowledge and the resulting discoveries had to be stored in book form. The various types of collection space complemented each other not only at the practical level, but also at a symbolic level.
The focus of this research project is on a detailed study of scholarly collection spaces at the University of Leiden in the period 1575–1700. The University’s library, botanic garden, anatomy theatre and cabinets of curiosities are placed in an international context.