Myron Nebozuk
the Lagerfeld bedroom stacks: Karl Lagerfeld discovered that he could have more books if he stacked them vertically into columns. At the time of his death, his collection numbered 250 000 volumes. At first glance, this system seems to be wholly unsuited to quick retrieval and perusal. It is not. The casual act of repeatedly glancing at stacks of books registers in one’s memory. If I suddenly need to read something by Jhumpa Lahiri or Stephen Fry, I can find the book in a few moments. The process of extracting a specific book from a pile also produces moments of surprise as I find overlooked and worthy neighbours. Coming back to my title, books have enabled my family and me to get through recent lockdowns without succumbing to emotional isolation. Quoting Eddie Van Halen, ‘More is always better’, I now see our book collection as a multi- generational project. The love for learning was instilled by my parents and continues — my youngest daughter, who is studying architecture, asked if she could inherit my architecture books.
Books are particularly important to me: my earliest purchases from the Architecture Book Store in Ottawa take me back to the very moment of the purchase. I can recall which school project I was working on and why I thought a particular book would help me in design studio. This reason for acquiring architectural books – to rise above ordinary experiences and places – continues. Diving into a monograph with detailed plans, sections and essays helps me to better understand other architects’ perspectives and processes. For me, books are springboards, inspiring me to push myself far more than an internet search. c
Myron Nebozuk is an architect with three decades of experience. He is currently working with a small team to make his province’s healthcare system more responsive and effective.
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