The editorial “Let the library stay” (Nov. 5) reflects the sentiments of many. As it points out, the Tamil Nadu government's decision to shift the Anna Centenary Library from Kotturpuram and convert it into a super specialty paediatric hospital is clearly subjective-political. Assets are built by elected governments using taxpayers' money. People are the real owners of public buildings and they have a right to be consulted.
P.G. Krishnamchary,
Chennai
As a civil engineer, I would like to highlight the following. Conceptualisation and planning are the most important stages of constructing a building, particularly a service building. This necessarily takes into account, among other things, the end use of the building, allocation and orientation of space for various facilities, smooth movement of men and material, exploitation of natural light and ventilation, plumbing and drainage, concealed cabling for power and communication, safety, fire prevention and parking facility. These parameters are necessarily different for schools, theatres, hospitals, IT parks, libraries, malls, airports, and offices. A hospital can, no doubt, be force-fitted into a building constructed as a library but its overall efficiency is bound to suffer. The ACL, which is near world-class, is best left untouched.
A.N. Parakalan,
Chennai
