new york public library

after sitting around, wondering how we were going to spend the day yesterday, r and i finally mustered up the energy and made our way to the giant library in mid-town, the humanities and social sciences library, upon r's suggestion. the building is something both of us have talked about exploring. we figured it's a historical building and would be kind of awesome to see the old architecture. little did we realize the grandeur extends beyond the opulent entrance lobby.

we saw a little exhibit on graphic modernism, a style that r is really into. i loved the stripped down form of the genre. we, then, stumbled upon what i'm guessing is their A/V section that must've been the newest part of the building, glass being the mostly used construction material. we proceeded to wander into a room where they've photocopied all the cards from the catalog. there were enough of these books to line the four walls of a huge room. the volume was mindboggling. the ceilings of all the rooms we saw were decorous, with paintings and beautiful moldings. even the railing along the staircase was sculpted with intricate designs. there is such attention to detail in the construction of the building that we were completely impressed and wished we would still build edifices like this. the other wonderful aspect of the place was that it was quiet, ultimately being a library, an escape from the city in the heart of the city.

having to hurry back to catch the ups driver, we have definitely put the library on the list to revisit. it was a breathtaking experience.