Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny.”
- Thought: revisit Biblioteca Vasconcelos to write and to find another part of the library for a new post
- Action: go to library, write and realize Carlos Monsiváis’s library isn’t actually at that location- make new plan, stop for an amazing coffee and discover this new construction along the way
- Habit: research, assess/revise/replan and follow through
- Character: accountability
- Destiny: free will
Now you try!
I made the mistake on a prior post (which I prefer not to fix) about the location of Carlos Monsivais’s personal library and it was only on my insistence on returning to Biblioteca Vasconcelos (see destiny framework from Emerson above) that I realized it. All the better as the Biblioteca de México – Cuidadela (where Monsivais’s books reside), where this building is actually located, is a truly local gem.
I couldn’t find out the entrance from the map so being systematic I walked around it to discover how to enter. The beauty of this was that outside the library, there is a square where on this day, was filled people of all ages dancing- you could tangibly feel their joy. I felt almost as if intruding on them even pausing to observe from across the street. Carried on from the music, I found the entrance and crossed the threshold to a hushed sanctuary of people resting, reading and meeting with no tourists in sight.
The library has multiples of the spaces above- airy, naturally lit with the seamless clerestory windows raising the roof above seeming to defy gravity, as if the anticipated knowledge would carry us higher as well. Absolutely clever is the use of plants as a screen and boundary between the hall and the book storage and pockets of study areas. The living and breathing nature of these plants transferred a sense of growth and change to the space in addition to a protective feeling.
In contrast, there is another section of the library where instead the books and reading areas are along the outer wall of the building, rather than centralized in the middle. In addition, these areas are enclosed and while there are windows- feel much more private, reserved. It is within this set of “private” libraries which require additional security and are extremely intimate, that I finally found Carlos Monsivais’s personal library.
Having completed this journey, arriving at the node after traveling the thrill of the edge, I took my time here. I took my time to peruse a small section at a time. I took my time to pull out one book after another drinking in the diversity of the colors, typography, language and contents. I sat. I spent time reading. These moments I do cherish.
Address: De La Ciudadela 4, Colonia Centro, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, 06040 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
Website: Arch Daily write-up
ofallthespaces 