Library Buildings around the World

Los Gatos Library, Los Gatos, CA – USA 2011
Client: Town of Los Gatos, Construction Cost: $ 18.000.000
Nestled at the foot of a wooded hillside, the two-story, 30,250-square-foot Los Gatos Library provides a visual connection between
the Town’s historic Pageant Park and the adjacent Civic Center. The design concept is based on the lantern, which in architectural
terms suggests an open, light-filled structure. Daytime illumination optimizes the use of natural daylight, with glazing on the north
wall, skylights at the stairway well, veiled glazing on the south wall, and use of louvers to bounce light into the library. At night,
white and colored artificial light allows visibility from the street and views into the library.
The site is at the edge of the existing Civic Center and abuts a steeply graded hillside, so building footprint options were limited. To
eke out the maximum possible square footage, the architects designed a rectilinear building, then added cantilevered “pop-out”
elements to break up the static shape. The steel-frame building is clad with stone veneer, porcelain tile, a wood veneer composite
panel rainscreen, honeycomb core aluminum panels, and an aluminum solar shading system. The materials and exterior colors take
inspiration from surrounding natural elements and buildings.
Inside, the low lobby ceiling opens suddenly onto the two-story main staircase, giving a sense of airiness and arrival. This stair is the
central focus of the library and a feature design element. An etched glass art installation by Sheri Simons decorates the back wall of
the staircase, alternating transparent and frosted panels and graphic elements.
While the open floor plan celebrates large spaces, the design also incorporates more intimate reading areas. Special attention was
given to design elements that make each program space unique. The periodicals reading room, located behind the stairwell on the
main floor, has a dark-paneled clubby adult atmosphere, with a gas-lit fireplace. A moveable window wall opens onto a patio,
creating an outside room in the warmer months. Off the main floor lobby, a brightly colored sign denotes the children’s library.
Entering the children’s area, visitors find themselves beneath an undulating starry sky, with glowing back-lit cutouts of celestial
swirls and planets. On the rear wall, recycled transparent plastic has been fashioned into luminescent circular artwork by Benjamin
Phipps. Smaller circles act as wall sconces, while larger circles are recessed to serve as reading nooks. A door to the outside leads to a
secret garden, where larger-than-life books sculpted in cement represent favorite classic children’s literature.
Like a hip treehouse, the teen area is located on the second floor in the cantilevered “pop-out,” which gives it views to outside as well
as visibility from the street. Teen lounge-style seating offers a group gathering area. The ceiling is detailed with Interlam, painted a
vibrant red. The second floor also features a Local History Center, with exhibit cases and a video screen to display artifacts of note.
The design team is aiming for a LEED Gold certification, emphasizing visible sustainable systems and educational display features.
Archdaily 27.09.2012 (http://www.archdaily.com)
Valley Hi North Laguna Library, Sacramento Public Library, City of Sacramento, CA – USA 2009
Construction Cost: $ 10.800.000
This new high-performance, LEED Gold-certified branch library for the City of Sacramento pushes the envelopes of sustainability
and design. The 20,500-square-foot building has been embraced by the community, offering an expanded collection, community
meeting room, technology center, self-service checkout, study rooms, a Teen Area, and Children’s Library. Valley Hi-North Laguna
library won a Design Excellence Award from the AIA San Francisco in 2011. (Noll)
Castro Valley Library, Alameda County Library, Castro Valley, CA – USA 2009
Client: County of Alameda General Services Agency, Construction Cost: $ 12.200.000
A light-filled, ultra-modern facility, the 34,000-square-foot Castro Valley Library offers a flexible design that accommodates a
variety of community needs. Preschool-aged children, teens, and seniors all have their own reading/study areas, and a Friends of the
Library bookstore and café offer a sophisticated way to enjoy a good read. Abundant natural light and an efficient heating and
ventilation system contribute to the building’s LEED Gold rating. (Noll)
Portola Branch Library, San Francisco Public Library, City of San Francisco, CA – USA 2009
Construction Cost: $ 3.400.000
The 6,300-square-foot building is the culmination of creative collaboration between the joint venture of Noll & Tam Architects and
Stoner Meek Architects, the San Francisco Public Library, and the Portola community. The new library offers designated teen
space, a children’s room, and flexible space to support events after hours. An open book motif is represented in the sunshades along
the building’s southern wall. (Noll)
Program: A single-story, 6,300-square-foot public library on a residential street, with stacks and periodicals along the south wall and
a children's room, a program room, and staff offices along the north. A side garden borders the children's room and program room,
which also has a separate entrance from the outside. Design concept and solution: To integrate a civic building into a residential
context, the architects wanted to strike a balance between exposing and obscuring: much as a house does, the library brings in light
without fully revealing the activity within. On the southern facade, a sequence of tall "shutters" resembling the pages of open books
offers shade and privacy, while tall windows tucked behind the folds bring in a play of daylight that changes throughout the day. The
shades' interior bays double as private reading spaces that together form a kind of indoor porch. A stretch of skylights spans the
length of the library and divides the public program from staff spaces. To underscore the residential motif, the architects clad the
library with shiplap wood siding, which they also used on the interior in rust red and in a natural wood stain.
(http://archrecord.construction.com)
The Bancroft Library, Doe Library Annex, University of California, Berkeley, CA – USA 2008
Construction Cost: $ 42.000.000
Noll & Tam Architects served as the Associate Architect with Ratcliff (Prime Architect) for the seismic and programmatic
improvements of The Bancroft Library, which houses UC Berkeley’s rare book and manuscript collections. The scope of work
included a complete re-design of the building’s 217,500-square-foot interior to meet current and projected needs. Noll & Tam’s
programming capabilities, group facilitation, and interior design expertise were central to the renovation of this historic building.
(Noll)
Marina Branch Library, City of Marina, CA – USA 2007
Client: City of Marina, Construction Cost: $ 6.200.000
Noll & Tam Architects designed the new 20,000-square-foot Marina Branch Library and administrative offices for the Monterey
County Library system. In addition to a children’s library, periodicals room, and general reference, the new facility provides study
rooms, a large community meeting room, and a homework center. Careful attention was given to siting the building among the
natural features in this coastal city. (Noll)
Carmichael Branch Library, Sacramento, CA – USA 2006
Client: Sacramento Public Library, City of Carmichael, Construction Cost: $ 4.700.000
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