Foundations of Tisch Library

The academic heart of any school, libraries provide the obvious, a collection of books, and in great numbers. More importantly nowadays, university libraries are tasked with providing a facilitating space for students to study. I’ll elaborate on the architecture of Tisch today, but also about Brutalism, and of a building that was lost in 1996.

Before Tisch came to be, the university's library collection was scattered across campus, with the Eaton Memorial Library housing the majority. The building that is today known as Tisch started life as Wessell library, completed in 1965. Tisch as it exists today was completed in 1996, consisting of extensions to Wessell, and was in part made possible through donations from Steve Tisch. These extensions allowed Tisch to consolidate a majority of Tuft's collection, with the exception of Granoff, Ginn, and other small specialist collections.

The entrance to Tisch Library

The design of Tisch is polarizing, as Brutalist buildings tend to be. Brutalism is often thought to be oppressive, gloomy, and even downright hostile. People have, and of course still do object to such a style on university campuses, and especially for libraries, seeing it diminishing the enlightenment such places are meant to bring.

Brutalism can be beautiful, and I would argue that it often is in a way that other styles can rarely match. Brutalism is unapologetically raw, it's material of choice is raw concrete, with imperfections cast in time from the day it was poured. It is likewise raw in its form, with strong lines and shapes dominating the designs, which often give an insight into the functionality beneath the exterior. Brutalism musters a timeless authority few other styles can match; thus it has been an obvious choice for administrative buildings the world over. Notions of authority can become those of stoicism; Tisch stands a sentinel over the academic domain, providing firm reassurance to the endurance of the knowledge it safeguards.

Wessell Library from the southeast side

Alas, the Tufts campus lost something when Tisch was built on the foundations of Wessell. Unfortunately, this is often the case with architectural additions; the original architect's designs simply can’t account for them. In the case of Tisch, there is little remaining from Wessell, with more replacement than addition having occurred. In fact, the styles of Brutalism between the two diverged quite significantly.

Wessell was true to the original form of Brutalism, simple and powerful, with stark geometry and overwhelming mass as its dominating features. Tisch is a Post-Brutalist interpretation, with softened features stemming from ornamentation and multiple textures. The geometry of Tish departed from the angularity of Wessell, with many features becoming rounded, and removing many instances of repetition that made Wessell’s form so powerful. These geometries, the sloping curves of the outer perimeter and the triangular sunroofs simply don't mesh and appear dated today.

Mock-up model of Wessell

Tisch appears sprawling, and lacks cohesion in its whole, while Wessell remains well proportioned, the westward horizontal patterns balancing the rising monoliths to the east. The mock-up model illustrates this well, with Wessell blending perfectly in proportion and form to the topography of Walnut Hill.

Wessell's rooftop and  the Boston skyline

A surviving element of Wessell today is the tower, on the eastern side of the rooftop garden. This is easily recognizable from its strong lines, mass, and simplicity. Though Tisch's rooftop garden is for the most part well-constructed, it is much less ambitious than the space it had replaced. Wesell's entire roof was accessible, and contained expansive lawn patches, creating both an inviting space, as well as a credible attempt at the living roof concept.

Wessell from the air

Evidently Wessell didn't have the capacity needed for Tuft's future growth. It's sad to see, for Tisch is a mere vestige of what used to be. One could only imagine what could have been, had the additions held true to Wessell’s purist interpretation of the Brutalist style.

Students relax on Wessell's rooftop lawns