Library Buildings around the World

Consisting of a 20,000 s.f. community center, a 10,000 sf library, and a civic green, shared design elements, create a sense of a larger,
civic development: a modern town center for the community. The central plaza links both the Library and Community Center, and
forms an entry for both. The new center gives the neighborhood more than just an entrance on the street: it creates a place between
buildings for people to congregate, for activities to take place. Multiple pedestrian entrances to the site allow the project to act more
as a node of activity, (both a thoroughfare and a destination) rather than a one-stop destination. The design language consists of
solid, brick-clad forms contrasted against soaring roof planes with glazing and skeletal steel forms below. Windows at street level are
plentiful in order to convey both a storefront (retail) appearance, and to allow the community to see the activity within the buildings.
(Miller Hull)
King County Library, Service Center, Issaquah, WA – USA 2000
The Miller|Hull Partnership designed an 80,000 s.f. service center located in Issaquah, Washington. Designed to serve the library
system's 180 person headquarters staff, the facility houses administration, training, book processing, information services,
maintenance, a traveling library program and includes space for a new West Issaquah Branch Library. A large 2000 s.f. public
meeting space for community use is included in the building. The three story building mass is configured to engage the main arterial
in the area, Newport Way. The north-south oriented building screens the 100 car parking area from passing vehicles on Newport
Way. Pedestrians and bicyclists using the planned bike trail on Newport Way can view the activities going on inside the building, a
rare occurrence in this suburban business office zone. A preserved wetland on the east edge of the property can be viewed from the
office space on all three floors as well as from the building's board room and staff lounge. Construction bids to build the $10.5
million facility came in well under budget and allowed the owner to select all of the alternates. (Miller Hull)
Moody Nolan Architecture Inc., Columbus, OH – USA
http://www.moodynolan.com
Kenmore Branch Library. Akron-Summit County Public Library, Akron, OH – USA 2008
2.150.000 $, 12.000 sqf.
Situated within a redeveloping business district and well established urban neighborhood, this new library serves as an anchor for
the surrounding community. The materials and colors selected blend in well with the surrounding buildings and are durable in
nature. The facility has both small and large meeting rooms that accommodate anywhere from 20 to 100 people and are available for
use by local organizations and non-profits. The library also consists of separate children, teen and adult reading areas. Scattered
throughout these areas are more than 20 public access computers with free internet connectivity. (Moody)
Helen E. Arnold Community Learning Center, Akron Public Schools, Akron, OH – USA 2007
The Helen E. Arnold Community Learning Center is a two-story educational facility at Vernon Odom Boulevard and Rhodes
Avenue. A masonry veneer wraps the exterior in two rich, natural brick shades. A sweeping curve on the west side of the building
envelops the administrative suite, media center and art room. The curve is penetrated by the main entrance and leads to a corridor
bathed in sunlight courtesy of clerestory windows. From this corridor, students can access the 8,000-square-foot gymnasium and
student dining areas. The Helen E. Arnold CLC shares the site with the Urban League, but the facilities will function independent of
one another. (Moody)
Linden Branch Library. Columbus Metropolitan Library, Columbus, OH – USA 2004
1.800.000 $, 12.000 sqf.
Set in an urban environment, this new library fits into the surrounding area not only aesthetically but functionally. The 12,000 sq. ft.
branch sits right up to the property line taking full advantage of the site area. One of the design challenges in marrying building and
site was creating an easy circulation path around the building, accommodating a drive-thru book drop and providing adequate
parking. (Moody)
Library and Classroom Building, Ohio State University, Marion, OH – USA 1996
12.000.000 $, 56.350 sqf.
Award:
Design Excellence. National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) 1996
The central defining feature of the design is the large entry rotunda which is topped with a clerestory window and decorative metal
clad sunscreen. This rotunda serves both as the public entry and the link between the three distinct functions of the building: library,
classrooms and computer laboratories. The library and classroom wings each are accessed on the ground floor of the rotunda, while
a sweeping monumental stair leads from the entry up to the computer laboratories on the second floor. (Moody)
Moore Ruble Yudell, Santa Monica, CA – USA
http://www.moorerubleyudell.com
AIA National Firm Award 2006
Libraries:
Santa Monica Public Library, Santa Monica, CA – USA 2006
Despite a great many environmentally conscious architects calling Santa Monica home, green building on a large scale hadn't
occurred until the new library was constructed in 2006. Great care was taken in all of the building systems to use as little external
energy as possible, no small feet for a building type that requires constant air quality for maintenance of books. The skin of the
building is tilt-up concrete composed of fly ash and recycled glass. And unusual for a library, there is a lot of windows, allowing a lot
of natural light without exposure to the books. The roof is designed as an impluvium, an ancient Roman system of draining
rainwater to a cistern. The water is later used for all of the sites irrigation. ( http://mimoa.eu )
This new main Library reflects the character of Santa Monica as a place and as a community, supporting a well-informed public in
the comfort of the benign coastal climate of southern California. Seeking to enhance community awareness and encourage public
use, the design presents a building of approachable scale and civic proportions, opening in all directions to access, daylight, and
views into and out of the building.
Designed through a series of community meetings, the 110,000 square foot library responds to Santa Monica’s breezy-butenlightened
culture by incorporating large, sun-shaded windows, colorful pocket gardens, and a broad spectrum of sustainability
features—ultimately winning the project LEED Gold certification. One of the many sustainability measures is the use of an
inverted “impluvium” roof and underground cistern to collect rainwater for landscape maintenance.
At the center of the whole is a large enclosed garden court containing a small café
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