After Babel library
not detail my devotion to the maze (or for that intricate variant called Borges), guess it must be universal and also a sin because just a magnificent animal would go into the confusion, to find the order. Subjugated for years by the metaphor and foremost, the architecture of the Library of Babel, I decided to use a drawing program to represent three-dimensional with a report.
And here my troubles began. First, stylistic. My normal prose is simpler, more generous common repeats and cacophony. But, such is my respect for Borges, who, if I mention it, I can not avoid parody, like a child imitates his father. Outset, painstakingly, to cut the sentences to hide (unsuccessfully) trying to model the emphasis or nouns by this curious use of the adjectives that was the trademark of his style. My deference be extended even to the enforcement of this obsessive habit of using Latin accents (without
which many other illustrious cultures have survived).
I can envision, to the relief of the reader, that as my attention wanders to the subject of the story, Borges tics will disappear.
The second difficulty more serious, was geometrical order.
1 / 6: As You Like It
reproduce, to analyze-the beginning of the story. Images esquemáticas.Hay analysis are countless blogs on the network to the story. Here I leave two:
Option 1
Option 2
1. "The universe (which others call the Library) is composed of an indefinite and perhaps infinite number of hexagonal galleries, with vast air shafts in the middle, " (I allowed myself to assume the hexagonal wells.)
2." surrounded by very low railings. "
3. "From any hexagon the lower floors are"
and 4 ."... interminably, the upper. "
5. "The distribution of the galleries is invariable. Twenty shelves, five long shelves per side, covering all sides except two; its height, that is the floors, scarcely exceeds that of a normal bookcase."
(That block ocher on the left is the volume of normal library)
6. "One of the free sides leads to a narrow hallway, " (This suggests that the other side is different and seems free postpone the description of another hall. But never again mentioned the other side free. )
7. "Which opens onto another gallery, identical to the first and all." (Here we have two hexagonal corridors linked by a hallway.)
8. "To the left and right of the hallway there are two small closets. One may sleep foot, the other end needs. "
9. "Also through here passes a spiral stairway, which sinks abysmally and soars upwards to remote." (There is something incongruous in that ladder. I thought they look a little better design with a full rail masonry.)
10. "In the hallway there is a mirror, " ( Note that describes the other side never free .)
11." which faithfully duplicates all appearances. Men usually infer from this mirror that the Library is not infinite (if it were, why this illusory duplication?), I prefer to dream that its polished surfaces represent and promise the infinite ... " (Do not draw the mirror. I also found forced and useless to its location, which could only be on the side of the hall opposite the stairs.)
12. "The light is provided by some spherical fruit which bear the name of lamps. There are two in each hexagon: transverse. The light they emit is insufficient, incessant. " (ie, are in opposition. Without drawing.)
Judging from the letter, the library consists of endless story each of which is a pair of hexagonal corridors connected by a hallway:
2 / 6: Desfaciendo
wrongs, however, the second page of the story we read: "It is true that a few miles to the right language is dialect." Thus Borges imagined more than eight endless stacks.
suppose that I wanted to imagine a three-dimensional structure.
three-dimensional structure to achieve the minimum deviation from the description Borges, I took advantage of that observation of the second page and I simply because that one hallway, persuaded me that Borges wanted to write in point 6 " Each of the free sides leads to a narrow hallway " instead of " A the free sides leads to a narrow hallway . " Established then each free face gives a hallway that contains: a) two "small closets, b) a mirror and c) a spiral staircase (petite agglomeration) which in turn leads to another hex. This allowed me to build a linear structure infinite hexagons, but nothing more than a linear structure:
(I thought of the futility of placing the doorways on opposite sides not: only generate a string that meanders and hinder the resolution of the library.)
This linear structure projected endlessly up and down produces a vertical plane can be interfaced by the stairs:
But well, did not reach where I wanted. Uniting vertical planes only make a volume of isolated planes.
To achieve the expansion and traffic in three directions, X, Y and Z-, first imagined an infinite flat structures hexagons linear, parallel and independent. In addition, each hexagon was centered on a square of an imaginary grid.
This required:
-Extending the hallways. Interstitial spaces
-Building (waste) between the chains.
Also:
-air Dewatering wells to the minor axis of the interstitial spaces. I
-air circular wells.
adjacent to the floor, I imagined identical structures but turned ninety degrees in the plane and taken ½ hexagon in X and Y. I agree centers of air holes with the centers of the interstitial spaces, taking advantage.
Top
are superimposed two stories: the red (lower) and yellow. Note the little green circles in the intersection area, are the points of coincidence of the stairs on both floors.
The floors are connected by spiral staircases. So if I move from Y3 to Y4, I must first raise (or lower) one, eg X2, surrounding the air shaft and down (or up if lower) by stairs at the intersection X2-Y4.
Another view:
The only peculiarity is that taking a look at the drop of a well would caution mezzanines.
seemed that he had done without violating the letter of the story.
3 / 6: The fall of the house Borges
Still, something was wrong. A sentence of the story teased me: "The idealists argue that the hexagonal rooms are a necessary form of absolute space or, at least, of our intuition of space. Reason it is inconceivable a triangular or pentagonal room. "
addition, both scholars and their reflections, indicated unanimous the meaning of efficient packaging of the hexagon. I also remembered having read twenty years ago, an article in Scientific American on sphere packing with a view to better utilization of the physical means of information support and the hexagon came inevitable.
The waste of space was a thorn, so I went back to 3D design program.
First, adjacent chains of hexagons of the same plane were anastomosed, joining the convexities to concavities each other, thus:
Again, we had two strings cut off. In principle, the mechanism of transit through X, Y and Z would be the same as in the case of section 2 / 6: move from one string to its adjacent on the same floor would be to change the floor, move into the new flat return to the original floor. The only condition was that the chains of cross chains floor adjacent initial floor.
Intuitively, this overlap did three stories braided sections: green (top), red (intermediate) and blue (lower) separated by 60 degrees (or 120, as we see it). The light stripes on each floor displayed isolated chains.
After match hexagonal wells, childishly thought that the stairs, therefore, would be aligned on all three floors (the four small dark circles forming a diamond in the center of the figure above).
Silicon, fast, I remove the error:
In the lower floors, stairs were between the successive hexagons of the same chain, and obviously looking drawing, may not do ever.
After this setback and parodying Einstein told me: "I feel for my dear Borges, but the library is impossible." Had to return to the case of the 2nd section and sacrifice some itching mathematical beauty.
4 / 6. Great Expectations
Exhausted, I began to surf the web. Enter "Library of Babel" in a search engine, is to bring a legion. Most returned the praise to the work inexorable Borges, Borges also in tone (turned into a kind of cultural virus). Second, the story itself. But miraculously, above all, an article in January 2004 Clarin (Argentina) signed by Antonio Toca, Mexican architect, under the title "The imaginary library."
(see http://www.clarin.com/suplementos/arquitectura/2004/01/19/a-693524.htm )
words in action, the architect tells how in 1982, he made a series drawings based on the text of the complete works of Borges, 1974, solving its structure. Cristina Grau also of Spain, Henry Browne, Chile, and Erik Desmazières of Boston, had their own interpretations of the Library. Toca
reveals two versions of the story: in 1941, Allen had only one free face. In 1956, were spelled two, to achieve the transition. Grau, based on the first version made in 1989, and for his thesis in architecture, drawings of the library, but made errors. Then, using the 1956 version reworked his drawings, and even incorrectly. That model would seem to coincide with the one described here in the second section. Browne's drawings and Desmazières no added details. I looked for the network. In Desmazières I found a very free executions; of Browne none, but I inferred from his style dalilesco little attachment to literal interpretations.
My question, of course, was as it had solved the problem plays. The Mexican continues: "The network of hexagonal galleries housing the bookshelves, the hallways, which spaces are interconnected, and vertical movement between the galleries through a spiral staircase, which occupies the center of each module of six hexagons. "
That did not seem to make sense. I wrote the manager of the architecture section of Clarín asking for e-mail address of the architect. Then, browse the Internet, I discovered that this elderly gentleman, of severe white mustache, pictured in front of a PC with implacable eyes, was an eminent professor of the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico, and went around giving lectures. Ashamed of having sent a signal to a man so busy with my obsessions amateur, I again point of the article.
Then I understood: "[The network of hexagonal galleries hosting] [books shelves], [the hallways, which are interconnected spaces-] and [the vertical movement between the galleries through a spiral staircase that occupies the center of each module of six hexagons.] "
Well," the center of each module of six hexagons "no sense to me but" the center of each module of seven hexagons. " That is,
Then I set up a general view their interconnections. It was a group of seven interconnected modules. The yellow hexagons were the stairs: the focus of each module. The green squares represent the connections between the central staircase and six rooms of shelves. The red squares equivalent to the unique connection between a module and another.
To move from one room to another sister shelves, the hexagon is left of the stairs, following the perimeter corridor until you reach your gate.
To reach the hall at the output of a module from the spiral staircase, just enter any hex shelves and reach the second wall to the left.
The next day Don Antonio Toca answered me with a warmth that gives another bibliotecababeliano bibliotecababeliano found in a strange land. I reiterated its obsession with the Library, sent me the full article, which severed Clarín, and told me of his interest in building a real replica of the structure, which was proposed, but without receiving echoes. I thought it would be great national library following the architecture described by Borges, say, holding an apple. He complained also of the virtual recreation of the English television did the Library of Babel on the basis of incorrect work of the late Grau.
In my reply, I informed you understand your solution, making it a short, bold way, to ask his advice on the design style (hopefully, would have an estate advisor!). I went to sleep
plunged into a strange and undeserved happiness, as if I had resolved or whether the Library would have materialized.
5 / 6. Toca topology
Don Antonio had to find something irregular in my synopsis, because they said I should see her drawings. I confirmed my interest and almost monochrome display planes orthogonal perspective do so nicely architects. On the style of the Library, said severe, should be of the utmost austerity (without violating the topology implied in the story, my imagination was plotting a treacherous versions where any hexagon was majestic.)
The drawings arrived: they had the innocence of medieval illustrations although the details of the professional. And the organization was different from mine. Immediately I noticed that I was wrong. My interpretation of the topology of Touch was made ignoring the text written by Borges, but never agreed upon as the best correction: " Each one of the free sides leads to a narrow hallway which opens onto another gallery, identical to the first and all. "
Briefly, the galleries on each side of the hall should be identical. Apart from the small errors that should be corrected to allow traffic on the X, Y and Z, but should not be ignored sentences. My scheme did not comply with that statement because he had hallways that gave both the hexagonal well as spiral staircase to a room shelves.
Touch This drawing shows the basic module (click to enlarge):
can we represent, but simplified as:
This is a set of modules, simplified view:
This is the same set of modules above, drawn by Touch (click to enlarge):
Note the chance to look over the stairs aligned. That point releases of the library landscape views, conveying a depth that was present only in the prospects of the wells.
Soon to be chewing my fallibilities (which is slow human neural circuitry!) Warned that, final touches plans suffered the same error, because both schemes are equivalent, except that my biggest economy was making stairs.
Sorry I wrote an e-mail:
Dear Don Antonio: Looking at his drawings
see a solution very nice and different from what I understood basing on the article in Clarin.
As I imagine his character, the next thing I know is going to irritate: I see that both the semi-yours and mine (the diagram below) do not meet a requirement of the story, namely that phrase that Borges never wrote but agree a good correction, simply adding the word " Each "
" Each of the free sides leads to a narrow hallway which opens onto another gallery, identical to the first and all. "
This expression is lapidary: the other Gallery " identical to the first and all" is a gallery with shelves. "Identical" and "all" are the keywords. Bad that I regret, because I loved the idea of \u200b\u200bhexagonal wells spiral stairs , these wells are excluded. The galleries on either side of a doorway should be libraries. "gallery" in this tale of Borges means nothing.
The game is, with the exception of the corrections that you so rightly pointed out, to respect the letter of the account.
So I'm in trouble as before.
Excuse me, whether I'm wrong as fate.
But the architect did not flinch. After more than twenty-six years of support its interpretation would not be deterred by an upstart amateur. Responded that its topology does not violate the letter of the story. line "Each of the free sides leads to a narrow hallway which opens onto another gallery, identical to the first and all" , according to him, was fulfilled because both rooms of shelves and stairs rooms were identical and had wanted to include both Borges: guess that was the architect.
I replied that this identity was only in its hexagonal (hexagonal room with a spiral staircase, six doors and without shelves around not identical hexagonal to another room without such steps, with two doors and shelves).
Borges certainly I have approved his performance, changing like the line:
"Each of the free sides leads to a narrow hallway which opens onto another gallery, identical to the first and all" (Being the "first" a room with shelves) and
:
"The universe (which others call the Library) is composed of an indefinite and perhaps infinite number of hexagonal galleries, with vast wells vent in the middle surrounded by very low railings "
to accommodate hexagonal rooms with stairs. Toca's solution is architecturally beautiful and logical.
But Borges is gone and I want to meet the letter. The letter is the law. Dura lex, sed lex. Return
, bewildered, the drawing program. Before I sent the mailing address Museum next to the architect Borges in Argentina, which wanted to contribute by extending the drawing of the Library of Babel (street number Humberto Primo 378, CPA C1103ACH, Barrio de San Telmo, Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Estara where now the Penitentiary Museum)
(... continued)
