Library Buildings around the World

ookstores. This is no longer your grandparent’s library, where quietness reigns as patrons concentrate on their tomes! Instead, we
have a “market place” under the rotunda featuring the latest releases, a children’s area where toddlers are encouraged to roam and
explore, a teen center for those aspiring adults and finally, a true symbol of the 21st century: an internet café! Vibrant colors and
richly textured materials abound to delineate each area and to create a friendly and accessible environment. Since many community
members worked in the region’s historic agricultural industry, celebrating this farming heritage became a key design element. In
collaboration with Bay Area-based artist Amy Trachtenberg, interior details of the rotunda borrow from local agriculture: rising
from a base of tractor tires, columns are clad with old growth redwood milled from harvest vessels, stainless steel and madrone
branches; above, a series of paintings echoing the patterns and hues of the labored earth encircle the upper rotunda. Sustainable
design elements include: bio-swales, storm water detention pond, reduced heat island effect, zero light pollution, low irrigation water
usage, superior thermal envelope, superior HVAC performance (30% above ASHRAE), non-HCFC refrigeration system,
onstruction waste recycling, recycled content building materials, local material sources, indoor air quality control both during and
after construction, and day-lighting. (Aedis)
Alexander Design Studio, Ellicott City, MD – USA
http://www.brokenboxes.com
Libraries:
Roland Park Library, Addition, Baltimore, MD – USA 2007
Owner: City of Baltimore, Size: 9,400 SF, Cost: $3,500,000, Completion Date: 2007
The Roland Park Library is an historic stone building located within a close-knit Baltimore neighborhood. Given a spatially limited
site, the program called for an addition that not only maintains the historic nature of the building, but also meets the library’s
expanding programmatic needs. The project increases the Library’s square footage and wraps the existing symmetrical building,
preserving its lines and inherent character. Working directly with the local neighborhood and the City of Baltimore, the entire
design process was an open, interactive exchange of ideas. Publicly well received, the Roland Park Library Expansion is reflective of
a historically sensitive yet programmatically functional design. (Alexander)
Southeast Middle School Library, Baltimore, MD – USA 2005
Owner: Baltimore City School System, Size: 3086 sqf., Cost: $151,800, Completion Date: 2005
This pro bono design for one of Baltimore City's poorest school districts is a pilot project for bringing innovative thinking to the
design and renovation of the school's libraries. Replacing two interior rooms that made up the existing library, the new library is a
unified space animated by a continuous piece of interior furniture that accommodates instruction/learning spaces. This continuous,
but transforming system holds shelving, supports desk areas, houses computer terminals, defines an amphitheater, and supports
specialty lighting. Conceived as a Mobius strip of learning, it criss-crosses the space as it accommodates the library's program
needs, ultimately tying back into itself after making its circuit around the room. The circulation desk is defined by the one instance
where the system crosses back over itself. The end result is a place where students are both energized by their built environment and
made aware of the infinite yet connected nature of human knowledge. (Alexander)
Allison Architects, Little Rock, AR – USA
http://www.allisonarchitects.com
Libraries:
Oley E. Rooker Library, Little Rocks, AR – USA 2010
Winner of a Members’ Choice Award from the Arkansas Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the new Oley E. Rooker
Library, Little Rock, AR, has walls of windows that overlook a plaza and an infinity-edge reflecting pool.
(http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2011/12/buildings/library-building-2011/year-in-architecture-2011-fantastic-facades/)
Each branch library in Central Arkansas Library System is uniquely designed for its neighbourhood, and the Oley E. Rooker
Branch reflects its location, culture, and the community´s interest in sustainability. Sited along Stagecoach Road near the main
entrance to Otter Creek, the new library will provide a memorable landmark for the community and will be the first LEED certified
facility for CALS. The design incorporates many sustainable strategies, including a geothermal heating and cooling system that takes
advantage of energy naturally found on-side; efficient landscaping practices, such as catch basins to clean and infiltrate water onsite;
and specification of both regional and rapidly renewable materials. Local building materials include stone, copper, wood, and
glass. Lamieted wood beams form a large sheltering roof while transparent glass walls and large windows not only welcome
passersby by allowing them to see activity within, but also provide a connection between interior spaces and the outdoors. The
indoor environment is enhanced through views to the outside and abundant natural light. Cork and stone floors, wood, warm colors,
and oversized hanging “lamps” along the perimeter add to the warm, inviting interior. (Allison)
ALSC Architects, Spokane, WA – USA
http://www.alscarchitects.com
Libraries:
John F. Kennedy Library, Easter Washington University, Cheney, WA – USA 1999
expansion and remodel of an earlier library building (1968)
153.000 sqf., € 22.000.000
Awards:
Honerable Mention Excellence in Masonry Award Masonry Contractors Association of America (National Award)
The primary goal for this project was to transform the existing dark and uninviting library into a student centered facility that
would become the center of the University community. Creating a high-tech library that enables students to take advantage of
distance learning opportunities was another important goal. To address these goals, the existing library was nearly doubled in size
and completely remodeled. In addition to the library, ALSC was also responsible for redevelopment of EWU's pedestrian circulation
system. The central mall area with its fountain and stream has become a favorite campus gathering space.
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