Last week we visited San Diego’s New Central Library which is currently under construction downtown. It is a magnificent structure — the dome is remarkable in both design and execution.
They took us up in an elevator to examine all 10 floors of the building and I was quite impressed. The new building will double the amount of library space available, from about 144,000 square feet to 294,000 square feet, with the number of computers available to the public increasing from 84 to 407, and the number of seats from 409 to 1,200.
The project is progressing well, and the building is scheduled to open in July 2013. Betty and I have made a donation to support the New Central Library, and we look forward to seeing the finished result a year from now.
I have included a couple of photos from our visit to the New Central Library, including one where I am reviewing the plans with the building’s architect, Rob Quigley who is wearing a red hardhat on my right, and the Library Foundation CEO Jay Hill who is wearing a white hardhat on my left. In another photo, Rob Quigley and I are discussing the dome’s unique design and engineering challenges.
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Please continue to send me updates to our SAIC alumni chart (PDF) for the upcoming new edition of The SAIC Solution. I am certain that many new companies have been started up by SAIC alumni in the time since we created the original chart a number of years ago. I don’t want to leave anyone out if I can help it.
— Bob
