Library Buildings around the World

Steven Ehrlich Architects, Culver City, CA – USA
http://s-ehrlich.com
Libraries:
Los Angeles Public Library, Westwood Branch Library, Los Angeles, CA – USA 2005
Ehrlich Architects was awarded both the master planning and design commission for the new Westwood Branch Library, the third
branch library for the City of Los Angeles designed by the firm. Located near Westwood Village and the UCLA Campus, the library
will include two levels of underground parking and 12,500 square feet of community-focused space. Due in part to its proximity to
the University and affluent neighborhoods, it is one of the most politically charged projects within the library bond initiative.
The immediate neighborhood context is the quintessential Los Angeles mix; high-rises along Wilshire to the north, two- and threestory
commercial uses along Westwood Boulevard to the west, and one and two-story residences to the south. The design approach
raises the primary library space to the second level, provides parking and the entry below, and frames views to the neighboring
greenspace. The site’s tiny size, a factor of land values in this part of Los Angeles, posed special challenges regarding access and
parking. (Ehrlich)
SBVC – San Bernadino Valley College – Library, San Bernadino, CA – USA 2005
Awards:
American Institute of Steel Construction – Presidential Award 2006
American Association of School Administrators / American Institute of Architects / Council of
Educational Facility Planners International Citation Award 2006
The two-story open reading room of the 40,000-square-foot library is a glass and corrugated-metal prism supporting a multifaceted
metal roof; like a giant origami, the roof folds down to form a protected entrance court. Service and support areas occupy a
rectangular stucco box with punched windows. The elements interlock and overlap throughout the length of the building,
highlighting public versus private spaces. A stained concrete floor serves as the finished floor and structural slab. (Ehrlich)
Los Angeles Public Library, Encino – Tarzana Branch Library, Tarzana, LosAngeles, CA – USA 2003
12.000 sqf., $ 4.750.000
Located on Ventura Boulevard, the new 12,000-square-foot library for the city of Los Angeles sits at the intersection of a small
residential neighborhood and the wider world, both physically and programmatically. As such, it connects the intimacy of home and
community to the realm of knowledge and possibility. State of the art computer facilities complement a varied book collection that
serves library patrons of all ages, while the comfortable reading and meeting spaces invite community use throughout the day.
Simple forms combine to create dynamic geometries with a sweeping roof that thrusts up and out, and also gently down to provide
shelter at the entrance. At street level, the prow-like corner opens with a large expanse of glass, allowing an exchange of views.
Inside, the great room expresses a quiet simplicity, with exposed laminated wooden beams above providing warm color. Glass
interior clerestories hover over interior walls, while skylights enhance the daylighting of the space. Exterior materials complement
the geometry of the building: corrugated metal panels follow the sloping roof while standing seam metal roofs highlight its changing
angles. The landscape design received special care, with materials selected for their appropriateness to the valley climate and more
specifically to the nearby creek, thus restoring the feel of a natural environment. Permeable pavements and the introduction of a
natural filtration system known as bioswales help control stormwater runoff, some of many measures employed to make this project
environmentally friendly. ( http://www.archrecord.construction.com )
Biblioteca Latinoamericana and Washington United Youth Center, San José, CA – USA 1999
Located one mile south of Downtown San Jose, the Biblioteca Latinoamericana and Washington United Youth Center anchors a
75,000 sf T-shaped site surrounded by commercial, educational and residential neighborhoods. Responding to the urban context and
residential neighborhoods, a shaded courtyard invites pedestrians through two different entrances via trellis pathways. This outdoor
plaza, complete with a stage, becomes a neighborhood focal gathering place for everyday casual use as well as special occasions and a
cultural landmark for the community. Organized around the courtyard, the two buildings share a relationship of similar materials
and forms; tall masonry masses formed by concrete block and brick, linked together by a lower, metal and glass clad "glue-like"
elements.
The Biblioteca is an important Spanish language resource in the region, housing special collections of both Spanish and English
literature. The Youth Center provides a gymnasium, boxing, weightlifting, counseling services by Catholic Charities, and a
program/community room where both Library and Youth Center group programs can be planned and community meetings occur.
For the project, Garcia Teague of San Jose served as the Executive Architect. (Ehrlich)
Los Angeles Public Library, Robertson Branch, Los Angeles, CA – USA 1997
Awards:
Arc space May 28, 2008
AIA / ALA Award 2001
California AIA, Biblioteca Latinoamericana Merit Award 2002
The Robertson Branch Library is situated on a busy Los Angeles strip, where apartments, billboards and commercial structures
clamor for attention. The design for this 11, 000 sf community facility breaks the monotony of an efficient rectangular footprint with
a bold pre-weathered copper element that soars above the otherwise modest two-story structure. From the exterior the component
acts as a marketing device – announcing the library’s presence, increasing attendance and inviting patrons to read and gather.
Inside, the dramatic two-story volume serves as the central organizing element and contains a curving stairway of steel and stone
that draws visitors up to the second floor. Located on a tight site, approximately three-quarters of the ground plane was allocated for
surface parking and vehicular access. As a result the majority of the library’s programmatic spaces are elevated. Public zones are
located on the second floor and radiate from the central staircase. This synergy enlivens the simple reading rooms and physically
connects the library to the ground place, sidewalk and local community. (Ehrlich)
Library Paul Cummings, Santa Monica, Los Angeles, CA – USA 1996
Awards:
AIA / ALA Award 1997
Set among an assortment of converted warehouses and industrial structures, the Paul Cummins Library is an offering to an
alternative campus that symbolizes the Library’s greater importance within the learning environment. The 12,000 square foot
facility is contained by a series of folded planes of exterior blue plaster, which descend in elevation along a busy urban street down to
the pedestrian alley of the campus. The two-story periodical reading room penetrates into the “campus quad” (an alley), and
supports a steel canopy that offers a shaded gathering place and leads into the double height entry volume. Vibrant yellow exposed
structural steel framing supports the structure and inclined wall. Book stacks and administrative support facilities are positioned
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