Well-Versed in Baltic Birch
Chicago's new Poetry Building gives physical presence to the Poetry Foundation and its magazine, Poetry. In keeping with the literary art form it serves, the structure employs an economy of means, materials and methods, just as a well-crafted poem employs an economy of words.
The Poetry Building is itself a metaphor for the way a good poem reveals its meaning. "Poetry was the filter through which the design, spatial and material concepts came to life," said the building's architect, John Ronan, John Ronan Architects. "Poetry became an analog for how I thought about the space and used the materials."
Located in the Windy City's River North neighborhood and surrounded by residential towers, the building is conceived as layers of materials – zinc, glass, and Baltic birch (Betula spp.) plywood – that interact and then separate to create different spaces. "This spatial narrative unfolds as visitors move through and between these layers," Ronan explained.
The two-story structure is cloaked in a corrugated, oxidized zinc shroud that gradually transitions from a solid surface to a perforated veil. The spatial sequence then takes visitors through a garden and into a series of interior public spaces, including a performance space, a gallery, a reading room and a library that houses the Poetry Foundation's 30,000 non-circulating volumes.
Transparency is central to the structure's overall design, with light filtering into the building via the garden, which is situated at the aperture of the corner site. Baltic birch plywood panels and a simple elegant glass facade intertwine in a lyrical couplet throughout the interior space. Natural light plays off the glass and the amber-hued wood, infusing the atmosphere with a soft golden glow.
Frequently asked questions
What wood species was used in Chicago's Poetry Building?+
The Poetry Building uses Baltic birch (Betula spp.) plywood panels throughout its interior spaces.
Who designed the Poetry Foundation's Poetry Building in Chicago?+
The building was designed by architect John Ronan of John Ronan Architects.
What materials make up the Poetry Building's layered design?+
The structure is composed of layers of zinc, glass, and Baltic birch plywood that interact and separate to define different spaces.
What is housed inside the Poetry Building?+
The two-story structure contains a performance space, a gallery, a reading room, and a library that holds the Poetry Foundation's 30,000 non-circulating volumes.
How is the exterior of the Poetry Building clad?+
The building is wrapped in a corrugated, oxidized zinc shroud that gradually transitions from a solid surface into a perforated veil.
How does natural light interact with the Baltic birch interior?+
Light filters into the building through a garden at the corner-site aperture, playing off the glass and amber-hued Baltic birch to create a soft golden glow.