Resource, a limited-run 'design library,' is coming to the Union Market District

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Form Function Studio is on a mission to fill the gap between general libraries and specialty bookstores with its latest pop-up, Resource. The two-month installation will run September 12 through November 18 in the Union Market District and is a free public space where programming ignites inclusive conversations amidst design books and magazines that will be made free to all.

In an effort to show that design doesn't have to be inaccessible or esoteric, Resource serves as a communal gathering place for the D.C. design community and anyone interested in diverse topics related to the use of space and its impact.

There will also be a retail component at Resource during its run with items made by local artists and designers, as well as a slate of programming including panel discussions, Washington Studio School drawing classes, ASL Workshops and more.

Form Function Studio principal Alison Beshai created Resource with the goal of creating a space where expensive design books and magazines could be accessed for free, similar to a public library.

"Our neighbors on 4th Street in the Union Market District are a diverse group of international wholesalers," says Beshai. "We plan to engage the existing community by providing information and signage in multiple languages represented and spoken on that street, as well as partnering with Gallaudet University for programming and interpretation when possible. We want this space to be for everyone."

"Everything we see and touch in our world is designed. It can inspire, provoke, or simply be ignored, and we rarely talk about it," says EDENS Managing Director Bill Caldwell, who leads the design team for the Union Market District. "Resource will create a forum for conversation about design and we are proud to be part of that effort at Union Market."

In addition to Union Market and architecture firm title sponsor Gensler, Form Function Studio produced this project in partnership with the DC Public Library, Composite Co. and Gallaudet University. Design fans and neighbors alike will have access to more than 500 design books, magazines and periodicals provided by the DC Public Library, Capitol Hill Books, STACK Magazines, Lars Müller, Island Press and private donors. All print resources within the installation are free to be enjoyed in the space and may be scanned for personal use.

In addition to the hundreds of books within the design library, Resource will also feature smaller book curations by local designers such as Monling Lee, Co-founder of JUMBO; Jessica Caldwell, Senior Design Strategist at EDENS; Brian Miller, Co-Founder and Senior Project Designer at Edit Lab; Christian Dutilh and Jacob Weinzettel, Co-Founders of Composite Co.; Veronica Revilla, Interior Designer at Veronica Revilla Studio; Dian Holton, Strategic Initiatives Director at AIGA; and Diane Hoskins, Co-CEO of Gensler.

Gensler happily took on the role as title sponsor of Resource, seeing the pop-up as a haven for inclusivity and creativity.

"We strongly believe in D.C. as a creative place and Gensler wants to do everything we can to promote the ingenuity and imagination that abound in our city," says Yukiko Takahashi, Gensler design director and senior associate.

"Diverse perspectives, whether from Gallaudet students, Union Market's traditional and new merchants or the residents of northeast Washington, make creativity flow. Supporting Resource reflects our belief in collaborative culture being an accelerator of ideas, bringing together people from around the globe to spark even more."

In addition to the firm's financial contribution, Gensler provided pro bono conceptual design and build-out support for Resource.

Resource @ Union Market

• Location: Union Market District, 1287 4th Street NE
• Dates: September 12 through October 14
• Hours: Wednesday + Thursday, 1-6pm; Friday-Sunday, 11am-6pm; Closed Monday + Tuesday
• Website: www.resourcelibrary.us 

About the Union Market District: The Union Market District is a place where businesses of all size launch, scale and innovate; a place for creative minds and businesses to connect, thrive and make D.C. their own. Located a short walk from the NoMa/Gallaudet metro, is a 45-acre historic urban development where, at its core, sits the acclaimed food market, Union Market. Since opening in September 2012, Union Market now averages 15,000 visitors per weekend and has hosted more than 400 retail pop-ups and events. For more information about the Union Market District, please visit www.unionmarketdc.com or follow @UnionMarketDC on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

SOURCE Union Market District