The aquarium is almost ready. This is the office which replaces the area at the end of the hallways where the fire-escape exits will go.

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They are putting together the furniture in the entrance area, and the tables in the back. A flurry of activity, as usual these days. Blogging will be sporadic, as we are working furiously to empty the auditorium and clean it for Monday's opening.

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The mezzanine extension is looking very nice. Later this week (Friday?) the sofas arrive.

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The mezzanine area is mostly done, although it's hard to tell from looking at it right now. The drop ceilings and all of the dry wall work are complete, they are still working on covering up the columns and installing window latches, etc.

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The computer lab is being set up. Now we are just missing the chairs and the couches.

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A closer view of the new balcony extension. This area will be very nice when finished.

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Here is a close-up. Hard to believe that is natural sunlight travelling down a tube.

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They are installing the windows on the mezzanine floor, and the electricians are cabling like crazy. Note the four circles of light on the ceiling, they look like flourescent lighting, but are actually reflecting natural sunlight through a tube into the mezzanine area.

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A close-up of where the glass panels will be inserted in the mezzanine floor. There are three large skylights in the ceiling above the glass which will bring much light to the ground floor.

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This is the area next to the offices, which will have a few couches. On the top right is the "gap" between the old and new mezzanine, which will become a glass ceiling in a few days.

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This is the entrance to the library on the ground floor. They furniture crew has been assembling the back offices.

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Things have been very busy, so the blog has not been updated in several days. We are in the final stretch, and the construction crew is working very intensely. This is a picture of the "quiet study" area, which is looking nice.

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And the furniture started to arrive yesterday. They have been unloading trucks for two days now, and some of the furniture has already been assembled. More pictures to come...

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The floors have been laid, and they are doing a lot of touch-up work.

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The entrance area of the library was being prepared for the arrival of the new furniture yesterday.

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A close-up of the varnished floor.

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This is the computer lab. The floor has been varnished, and is looking nice.

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Same area, from a different perspective.

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This is the upstairs mezzanine area. Here too the drop ceilings are going in, and much of the floor is going down. I think the last big piece will be the installation of the air-conditioning/heating units on the roof of the library (and the roof of the penthouse).

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The reception area of the library (and the back offices) are getting the finishing touches. Part of the flooring is already down (under the plastic) and the drop ceilings are being put in.

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The technicians continue to make sparks fly as they work furiously to prepare the electrical and a/c conduits in the main area of the mezzanine.

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They are also laying the bamboo flooring in the "quiet area" of the mezzanine. The computer lab is done, but they have laid plastic over the floor to protect it. Once all of the flooring is in, they will "finish" it with some kind of protective wax.

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The concrete has been laid on the new mezzanine balcony. Now they are awaiting the giant glass pane that will cut across the divider.

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A close-up of the halogen lights. The bulk of the lighting will be energy-efficient flourescent lighting, but in a few strategic areas they are using these halogen lights to add "warmth" to the environment.

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The light fixtures are beginning to appear in the computer lab.

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PIcture-less update

Much of the work that is being done in the library these days, while frenetic, is not really the kind of thing that photographs well. They are running electrical, putting in more drop-ceilings, extending the air-conduits, smoothing and installing the floors, installing light fixtures, and lots of other last-minute kinds of things. Most of the structural work is done, and they are just racing to have the library ready in time for a September 12 furniture delivery. One piece of good news that many religious readers of this blog may not be aware of is that they will NOT be placing the main air-conditioning units on the penthouse terrace, as originally planned, but rather up on the roof. I was asked again today if we are on schedule, and I can confidently say we are.

A close-up.

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This is the sign the library staff prepared for incoming students a few weeks ago.

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The floor of the computer lab is starting to be laid. Afterwards, they will have to add the finish, and then no one can enter the room for 24 hours while it dries. Should look very nice.

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The mezzanine is becoming a jungle of air-ducts.

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It is impossible, of late, not to bump into John lurking around the library basement. There is much work to do...

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This is the view from underneath the fire-escape. Note the copper rain gutters.

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The library garden will never be the same, but safety must supersede comfort. The construction crew has torn out the old tiles and is rebuilding the garden around the fire-escape and fire-exit areas.

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Today the glass technicians came. The wooden frames you see in this picture were made by taking the measurements of the area that divides the mezzanine balcony from the main floor. They will use these frames as a basis for measuring the glass parts that will be inserted into the floor.

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Before laying the concrete onto the mezzanine balcony, the electricians have been working to place electrical outlets along the perimeter (see the black tubes snaking up in the background).

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