Morrell Library is the main Library of the 1960's built west campus for the new University of York in Heslington, east of historic city of York. The total height is well controlled under the three and half story tall but it is a lot more if you see it through inside. The height control is perhaps attributed to the neighbourhood planning protection and conservation scheme in historic York that no any other buildings to be built taller than the edifice of medieval cathedral of York Minster, the tallest and distinctive aboveground structure in York seen from a distance.
The Morrell Library sits on the gentle hill of the west campus in University of York, England.
The architectural language of this 1960's modernistic library might be traced back to the similar design of the Boston City Hall with flat horizontal concrete giant of brutalism building by architects Kallmann and McKinne. Taiwan also has a similar structure by renowned architect Da-hong Wang in his award winning masterpiece of Headquarter building of Foreign Affair governmental building in that same decade.
Morrell Library is also home to the one of the largest collection of History and Historic Architectures in the UK and many of the collections can be traced back to publications since the 19th century Victorian Britain. This amazing account of archives are all within that semi-cement glasshouse in the 1960's brutalism campus and can be accessed by the staff and students to be borrowed out of the library. Superb to be a student here in York.
The library is named after Jones Bowes Morrell, the English Author and historian, twice Mayor of the City of York, the key person to pursue establishing a university in York and founder of York Conservation Trust(wiki common). As being the founder for the York Conservation Trust and the University, such amount of historic and heritages related books might just could tell from his enthusiasm and endeavor.
The life time portrait of John Bowes Morrell in the Morell Library in University of York
J.B. Morrell's biography provided by the University of York
這幾周趕報告，我幾乎快住在學校的總圖書館了
這一棟1960年代現代主義大面玻璃的房子是約克大學的總圖，看起來不高三樓，但裡面卻有5樓多，因爲在1950-60年代約克古城城東蓋起大學校舍，爲了讓古城保持約克大教堂是該城的最高，大部分的房子都控制在四樓高以內，遠離大教堂三公里的圖書館座落小高坡上，硬是蓋得外觀只有三樓半。
英格蘭的區域規劃 Local Planning 景觀控制實施很早，早在現代超高大樓襲捲全球前先限制開發的高度，但不限制新開發區的形狀與建築語言。
這棟很像王大閎設計的華國在臺外交部大樓，但更可能是Kallmann McKinne 設計的美國波士頓市政廳的同期翻版，少了粗曠主義的誇張水泥量體，多了輕盈的玻璃透光，是1960年節能建築開端更是夜裡知識的校園明燈。
Morell library of York, beacon of knowledge after dark
約克大學以 Morell 命名，因為 John Bowes Morell 是推動約克大學建立的主要推手，她是英國著名的作者與歷史學家，更是兩度當選約克市長，也是約克保存信託基金會的創辦人，沒有 JB Morell就沒有現代的約克古城保存運動與催生了六百年才成功的約克大學，由於他的歷史與收藏，也反應出圖書館在歷史與建築史相關的書籍幾乎冠全英格蘭!
Willie Chen in York, 16th Nov, 2021
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