Library Buildings around the World

Rob Wellington Quigley, San Diego-Palo Alto – USA
http://www.robquigley.com
Libraries:
San Diego New Central Library, San Diego, CA – USA 2013
Construction Began August 2010, Construction Scheduled to be Complete,Summer 2013
Location 330 Park Blvd, San Diego, CA 92101, (Downtown - East Village, Park Boulevard at 11th Avenue, near Petco Park.)
Total Building Size 497,652 square feet (nine stories including a charter school on two levels, two levels of parking, an
auditorium and a café), Parking Spaces 500 (250 on-site, 250 across the street), Cost $185 million
Special Library Features
• Outdoor Library Plaza and café, • 355-seat auditorium, • Three-story domed reading room, • 333-seat, west-facing multi-purpose
room, • 3,797-square-foot teen center, • 9,141-square-foot children’s library, • Technology Center, • 163 square foot Coffee Bar
Additional Unique Feature Co-locatedCharter High School for approximately 500 students on 6th and 7th floor of building
Architect Rob Wellington Quigley, FAIA, Tucker Sadler & Associates
Plans for a long-awaited new central library in San Diego just got a boost after years of stagnation. The city council just voted to bid
out the project, as the state threatened to pull its $20 million contribution unless the action was taken, according to a local news
report. Leaders of the San Diego Public Library (SDPL) and the library foundation both expressed optimism. "To our knowledge,
San Diego is one of the last of the larger cities to build a new Central Library," SDPL director Deborah Barrow told LJ. Once
begun, construction should take 36 months. The library, with 366,257 square feet (fact sheet), would represent an enormous change
from the current building, which has 144,524 square feet. The auditorium capacity would nearly double, the number of volumes
would increase 50 percent, and the space for children and teens would triple. Fiscal issues San Diego, like many cities, has its fiscal
challenges, which have contributed to the delayed construction of the nine-story downtown centerpiece. SDPL four years ago
released a construction estimate of $185 million and private fundraising is still almost $40 million short of the $85 million needed.
The funding formula calls for $100 million from public funds, including $80 million in city redevelopment taxes and $20 million for a
school. The bid process will cost $500,000. Former San Diego mayor Dick Murphy (and 2004 Library Journal Politician of the Year),
who resigned in the wake of a pension scandal that damaged the city financially, was a strong supporter of the library project.
Current mayor Jerry Sanders is on record as being against using general fund money for the library's construction.
Last December, LJ reported that the city was considering using $20 million from a bond measure to include a school that would
occupy two floors of the library; that plan is going forward. SDPL director, Foundation optimistic Barrow is thankful that the
Council’s recent action will result in "know[ing] for certain what the new central library will cost." She described just how
necessary the new facility is for the city. "Just as our branch libraries are the heart of their communities, our new Central Library
is the heart of our library system. We will serve our branches better with materials, programs and other support, and be a center of
opportunity for all San Diegans." The SDPL Foundation’s marketing director Charlie Goldberg believes that with the "mayor’s
visible leadership and Council’s vote of support, this project is showing real momentum." Private donors already have contributed
$37.5 million, including $10 million for operations, he told LJ. "We believe additional supporters will now be willing to step
forward."
Mayor supportive, city councilor not Sanders earlier this year, in his annual fiscal message, expressed his support of the new library.
Among his goals: to "recognize that economic cycles cannot halt our progress, by opening and operating long-planned library."
Some city council members weren’t as supportive. Council member Carl DeMaio issued a memo October 19 that itemized how much
the city would save by abandoning the project ($63 million as yet unspent from the $80 million allocated to the project). He also
pointed out the redirected funds could be applied to the $179 million deficit projected for next year and beyond, according to the San
Diego Union-Tribune. ( http://www.libraryjournal.com Nov. 2009 )
Bascom Library and Communiy Center, San José, CA – USA 2010
This project involved creating a public building that, despite its location along a busy, 6-lane thoroughfare, would assert a strong
civic presence while respecting the small scale of an adjacent single-story residential neighborhood.
Half of the building is devoted to a branch library, complete with a Tech Center and designated areas for children, teens, and
families. The other half of the building houses a gymnasium, fitness room, game room, classrooms, community room, and kitchen.
Because the community lacks public open space, the intent was to create a variety of gathering spots, both formal and informal. A
focal point of the project is its plaza—a covered outdoor area providing sheltered entry to the facility. This 50-by-115-foot public
space is enlivened by a retail cafe and by views to the second-floor fitness room and veranda.
The plaza can host a variety of outdoor events, from community barbeques to movie screenings (films can be projected on the
outside wall of the multipurpose room). A patio located off the library's program room on the second floor provides a quieter, more
contemplative, outdoor space. Even the building's 100-space parking lot is leveraged for outdoor activities such as a farmer's market
or a neighborhood carnival.
Seeking to evoke a sense of dignity and permanence, tilt-up concrete is chosen for the gymnasium and multipurpose room walls.
Economical and durable, concrete tilt-up construction allows for easy maintenance and better acoustical control while creating an
appropriately modern aesthetic.
The project is pursuing a LEED Silver rating. Sustainable design features include natural daylighting and ventilation; water- and
energy-efficient fixtures and equipment; and recycled and regional materials. (Rob)
Seven Trees Community Center & Branch Library, San José, CA – USA 2010
Total Square Footage: 60,000
Projected Date of Opening: 2010
Services Provided: Complete architectural services from
conceptual design through construction, coordination of multi-disciplinary consultant team and public artist, community meetings,
LEED certification.
This joint-use facility represents a new building type for the city of San José: a combination library-community center that not only
centralizes educational, fitness, recreational, and social programs in one place, but also creates a venue for community activities,
special events, and celebrations.
Until now, public facilities for this low-income, multi-ethnic community consisted of several small, outdated buildings scattered
throughout Solari Park and separated by public streets. The new plan creates a unified civic complex by sealing off part of a street,
making the joint-use building the focal point, and installing pedestrian walkways to connect to the park and a nearby elementary
school.
Visitors to the building will be drawn in through the “Town Square,” an atrium-like lobby with canted walls, high ceilings, an
information desk, and an Internet cafe. Designed to encourage public interaction, the Town Square becomes the symbolic heart of
the community. As the hub for all circulation within the building, it is an ideal people-watching space; visual security is enhanced
through the generous use of interior glazing and carefully aligned sight lines.
From the Town Square, visitors can enter the large banquet room or navigate to the other main floor attractions: gymnasium, fitness
room, and weight room; spaces for classes, meetings, games, and crafts; a children's resource center; and a performing arts studio
for music and dance.
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