A Well-Crafted Gem That Could Not Be Replicated

Three years ago my family and I moved here from New York. I grew up in Nashville and my wife is originally from Kansas. We have no historical ties to New Canaan. We came because we love the town.

In 2002 I moved from Tennessee to Connecticut to work for Centerbrook. They are a tremendously talented and thoughtful firm. I have the perspective of understanding first-hand what drives their admirable design process. After Centerbrook I worked for Michael Graves and Peter Marino in New York before opening my own architectural practice. I mention this to illustrate a point of view. I am a foreigner. I am also bias toward Centerbook. And I apply the Louis Armstrong philosophy of music, “if it sounds good it is good,” to architecture: great architecture is great architecture regardless of when or where.

It has been sad to read such entrenched views about the new library. It smacks of political exasperation and personal vendetta. I’m thankful that my young children use more open-minded judgment than some of the discourse exchanged.

That said, I have four general observations from the last several weeks of reading.
First, it is a privilege to be in a community where there is a passionate, open exchange of ideas about something as vital to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness as a public library.

Second, there seems to be unanimous (or close to it) support of the new library. This is a key point that isn’t emphasized enough. The sticking point appears to be the 1913 portion of the existing library and where it resides on the proposed Town Green.

Third, I suggest that the Board does their due diligence on the figures quoted for what it would take to keep the 1913 library. A cost of $2 million to do foundation work, refurbish the core and shell and bring it up to code seems out of scale. That’s more than $1,000 a square foot. My firm recently completed full gut renovation of similar size that included new structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and high level finishes, in a pre-war building on Park Avenue for less per square foot. I also sit on the Carriage Barn Arts Center Board. We’re in the midst of renovating bathrooms to be ADA compliant. It is costing tens of thousands of dollars; not hundreds or millions.

Fourth, the 1913 building is great architecture. I make this statement without any nostalgia or romance about what New Canaan was 100 years ago. I’ve studied the building with a skeptical, C.S. Lewisian eye daring it to make me a believer. It is in fact a well-crafted gem that could not be replicated.

Thank you for this opportunity to publicly and respectfully share my observations,

Anderson Kenny AIA