bodliean library
The Nature of Oxford	FOUNDATION FOR KNOWLEDGE In contrast to the abundance of nature found at Magdalen College and Christ Church the Bodliean Library contains absolutely no elements of nature. Aside from the architecture that has stone carvings of flowers and plants, the Bodleian is barren. The conscious decision to exclude any greenery makes me wonder as to what message the creators of the Bodleian wished to convey. One working theory that I slapped together was that the Bodleian, being a library is a source of knowledge; a place where the scholars of past generations ideas are held. This being the case it is my theory that lack of nature is an attempt to step outside of time and create a feeling of stability; a foundation for the future of research. The stones represent this stability. Rather than having lawns, trees, and flowers which undergo change in the course of a year, this seasonal mutability is avoided by the rigid structure that the stones provide.	Gravel Lawn at the Bodleian
Magdalen College
Christ Church College
New College
Trinity College
Exeter College
Brasenose College
Bodleian Library
	Bodleian’s Timeless Message	Stone Quad in the Bodleian
		An A.J. Del Cueto Creation