Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Grande Bibliothèque du Québec's Window Panels Continue To Fall Onto The Street

Exploding glass panels have prompted a $750,000 security perimeter of fencing, shrubs and tarps around the Grande Bibliothèque in Montreal. (Ian Barrett for The Globe and Mail)

Panels Falling From Library Present A Challenge -- Globe And Mail

MONTREAL — A library is supposed to be a refuge of calm and tranquillity, but reaching one in Montreal can also be a form of extreme sport.

Ever since the city's showcase Grande Bibliothèque du Québec opened to acclaim in 2005, it has been shedding pieces of glass. In three years, 13 of the glass panels encasing the building have exploded and shattered.

In the latest case, three glass plates the size of ironing boards came crashing to the ground last week.

Luckily, they fell mainly into a newly minted, $750,000 security perimeter designed especially for the purpose. No one was hurt, though some are wondering whether falling glass is a risk of borrowing a book in Montreal.

Read more ....

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