Library Buildings around the World

air conditioning as the environmental conditions dictate, this building is remarkably energy efficient, and won the Governor’s
Energy Award in 2000. Replacing an old library which we in-turn remodeled into a senior center, we applied a highly collaborative
and interactive design process on this project. We developed nine alternative designs for the library that we explored with the
community in public meetings. The options ranged from fairly traditional architecture that reflected the existing facilities to more
contemporary approaches that responded to the site, the region and the climate. There was strong support for a bold, innovative
approach that responded directly to the environment and the mountains. (BWS)
Cannon Design, Buffalo NY– USA
http://www.cannondesign.com
No longer simply repositories of text collections, academic libraries are becoming vibrant partners in learning. The movement
toward informal, active, and group study is affecting the design of library environments as students and faculty increasingly use
these spaces to engage as collaborators and to seek guidance through the ever-expanding resources and technologies accessible to
today’s learning communities. As both pedagogy and technology continue to evolve, academic libraries must be designed as
responsive and flexible buildings to ensure that they remain relevant and vital contributors to campus life.
Libraries:
Central Library Restauration, St. Louis, MO – USA 2012
St. Louis, MO… The St. Louis Public Library will close its downtown Central Library, 1301 Olive Street, on Monday, June 14, 2010,
so that it can commence the eagerly anticipated restoration and renovation of the St. Louis landmark. Central Library will remain
closed throughout the project, which is expected to last about two years. Library officials’ goal is to reopen Central in time for its
centennial year of 2012. The $79 million project will be paid for through the Library’s own funding from St. Louis taxpayers, state
and federal funding, and a major philanthropic campaign by the St. Louis Public Library Foundation. Designed by famed architect
Cass Gilbert and funded by Andrew Carnegie, Central Library is one of America’s great public buildings and an architectural
masterpiece. In 1901, Andrew Carnegie made a large donation which was used for expansion, including building the current central
library. By 1938 the collection included 900,000 items, and by 2011, 4,600,000 items.The Central Library building at 13th and Olive
was built in 1912 on a location formerly occupied by the St. Louis Exposition and Music Hall and was designed by Cass Gilbert (*
1859 Zanesville, OH – 1934 Brokenhurst, England). The main library for the city's public library system has an oval central pavilion
surrounded by four light courts. The outer facades of the free-standing building are of lightly rusticated Maine granite. The Olive
Street front is disposed like a colossal arcade, with contrasting marble bas-relief panels. A projecting three-bay central block, like a
pared-down triumphal arch, provides a monumental entrance. At the rear, the Central Library faces a sunken garden. The interiors
feature some light-transmitting glass floors. The ceiling of the Periodicals Room is modified from Michelangelo's ceiling in the
Laurentian Library. Designed by famed architect Cass Gilbert and funded by Andrew Carnegie, Central Library is one of
America’s great public buildings and an architectural masterpiece. In 1901, Andrew Carnegie made a large donation which was
used for expansion, including building the current central library. By 1938 the collection included 900,000 items, and by 2011,
4,600,000 items
The restoration and renovation, designed by the St. Louis architectural office of Cannon Design, will carefully restore and repair the
building’s beautiful façades and stunning main public rooms. New services and wonderful spaces to house them will be created in the
renovated building. By remodeling former offices and service spaces, 30,000 square feet of additional space will be opened to the
public. For example, a beautiful 250-seat auditorium/theater will occupy a space originally used for coal storage. Other exciting
features that the renewed Central Library will offer include:
* The Center for the Reader: An enormous new space dedicated to new books and popular reading.
* A greatly enlarged children’s library, including new craft and story areas, study and reading areas, and a teen center.
* The Creative Experience: A dedicated room that will showcase new, state-of-the-art technology and software.
* New rooms dedicated to patrons who use Central Library’s unique genealogy, St. Louis history, and rare books collections.
* New generation technology including a computer classroom for technology education, new computer study areas as well as
workstations distributed throughout; wireless technology access, and laptop computers.
* A new, accessible entrance facing Lucas Park opening Central to the growing downtown residential district, offering a mirror to
the great restored Olive entrance. The new entrance will feature the falling waters of a new reflecting pool, signaling that patrons are
entering into a special experience. A few steps will take patrons into the new atrium, a beautiful new multi-story space leading into
the heart of Central and an array of new features.
* In addition to the new auditorium, a variety of new meeting spaces will be available for Library programs.
* Entirely reworked electrical, mechanical, and environmental systems engineered for energy conservation. New elevators and
restrooms will be distributed throughout the building. (http://www.slpl.org)
Ave Maria University, Canizaro Library, Ave Maria, FL – USA 2007
Ave Maria University, the first all-new Catholic university to be established in the United States in half a century, is set on 750 acres
of a 4,000-acre town development near Naples, Florida. The 5,000-student residential university was developed simultaneously with
the town of Ave Maria, whose projected long-range population is 40,000. The campus consists of 12 individual buildings, totaling
more than one million sf, which includes undergraduate housing, a science/class building, library and a student union. A 1,100-seat
Oratory is both the spiritual and physical center of the community. (Cannon)
The cornerstone of Ave Maria University’s campus is the new $18 million Canizaro Library, a state-of-the-art facility capable of
serving the University well into the future through both sophisticated technology and physical expansion. Inspired by Frank Lloyd
Wright’s principles of organic design and architecture, along with a natural environment and open floor plans, outside and inside
elements are blended seamlessly. Exterior horizontal lines from the structure form connections to interior walls and beams.
Programmatically, the building seats over 400 with quiet and group study rooms, audio and video workstations, and wireless
internet access throughout 98,000 sf of space. The 200,000-volume library opened in July 2007and houses major media, special and
rare book collections as well as the Wright archives donated by the founder and principal benefactor, an advocate for Wright
principles. (Cannon)
Duane G. Meyer Library & Campus Information Center, Missouri Sate University, Springfield, MO –
USA 2002
The Duane G. Meyer Library underwent a renovation/expansion project beginning in fall 1999, which doubled library space by the
time of its completion in fall 2002. New facilities include a significant area for Special Collections and Archives, electronic classrooms
and media labs for student and faculty use. The addition also includes 12 large group study rooms, 11 small group study rooms, 8
faculty studies, 10 multimedia workrooms for teams of students, and multimedia workstations for individual use.
The Duane G. Meyer Library, named in honor of former president Dr. Duane G. Meyer, has been Missouri State's main library
since 1980. It is located at 850 S. John Q. Hammons Parkway. Among the resources and services offered by the Duane G. Meyer
Library are over 877,000 books, subscriptions to over 3,500 periodicals and newspapers with back issues on microfilm, microfiche,
and microcard, and full text electronic access to over 20,000 periodicals. In addition, the library contains over 934,000 state, federal
and United Nations government documents. A central feature of the Library and of the campus is the Jane A. Meyer Carillon with
its complement of 48 bronze bells. ( http://www.missouristate.edu )
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