Library Buildings around the World

technology, as the library represents one of the first major applications, in the United States, of the system of thin tile vaults (or
catalan vaults) exported from the Catalan architectural tradition by the valencian Rafael Guastavino.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Public_Library_McKim_Building)
Lake Forest College, Donnelly and lee Library. Renovation and Expansion, Lake Forest, IL – USA
2004
72.000 sqf., $ 14.000.000
Awards:
2007 Bronze Award - Excellence in Masonry, Illinois Indiana Masonry Council
The award-winning Donnelley and Lee Library renovation and addition establishes a new academic identity for Lake Forest College.
The 45,000 s.f. renovation and 27,000 s.f addition transform the original library into a vibrant technological and educational
resource. providing a flexible and interactive learning environment. The building was constructed with few fixed walls to allow
spaces to be reconfigured as programmatic needs evolve. Instructional computer labs and a full-service IT department educate
patrons about the use of technology within the library. A 24-hour cafe and computer lab provide space for casual gatherings and
give students complete flexibility in their study schedules. Brightly colored interiors, glass-walled group study rooms and a two-story
lobby encourage creative collaborative work and foster a sense of intellectual possibility. (Shepley)
University of Denver, Sturm College of Law, Denver, CO – USA 2004
190.000 sqf., $ 50.000.000
The nation's first LEED certified Law School, the Sturm College of Law has LEED Gold certification. Since Natural Resources Law
has been taught here for more than one hundred years, the construction of new facilities provided the opportunity to put into
practice the principles the University teaches. The building uses 40 percent less electricity, gas, and water than conventional
construction. Electricity is conserved with the use of natural light, energy-efficient fixtures, and daylight and motion sensors. Water
is conserved through sensor-activated faucets, native plantings, and a storm water collection system for irrigation. Green materials
include a recycled copper roof, low gas-emitting paint and carpet, and lockers constructed out of recycled straw board. (Shepley)
Princeton University, Marquand Library of Art and Archaelogy, Princeton, NY – USA 2003
46.000 sqf.
This project transforms an important Princeton research facility that was built in 1966. The 29,000 sf renovation and 17,000 sf
addition expand open study areas, improve circulation, and increase access to technology. The Rare Book Room is wrapped by a
glass wall, enhancing a sense of openness and creating transparency between interior and exterior spaces. A new third level
accommodates seminar rooms. This light-filled floor is a favorite study space, with inspiring views of the campus. A below-grade
level covered with a green roof houses compact shelving space and skylit study areas that encourage the use of non-circulating
materials such as folio and elephant volumes. Users now have access to progressive digital resources and work spaces that are
transforming visual arts education and research. (Shepley)
City of Eugene, Eugene Public Library, Eugene, OR – USA 2003
127.000 sqf., $ 26.500.000
Awards:
People's Choice Award 2003, Public, Institutional and Commercial Architecture, AIA/Southwestern Oregon Chapter
Excellence Award 2003, Oregon Hammurabi Awards, The Masonry and Ceramic Tile Institute of Oregon
Second Place, Government/Institutional, International Excellence in Masonry Awards 2003, Mason Contractors Assn of America
The Eugene Public Library incorporates classical proportions while embracing contemporary technology and sustainable design
ideals. The new facility, which is quadruple the size of the city's previous library, includes a conference rooms, media center, and a
cafe. Behind the scenes, a mechanized conveyor belts eases the sorting and shelving of books. Double-height reading areas; a
graceful, skylit spiral stair; and a three-story, glass "winter garden" create open, light filled spaces that contributes to the building's
energy efficiency, which is thirty percent higher than required by codes. By locating the parking garage below ground, the Library
was able to develop ample green spaces around the facility, including a walled children's reading garden, which help to minimize
heat islands and reduce storm water run-off. The library was designed by Shepley Bulfinch, in association with Robertson Sherwood
Architects. (Shepley)
City of Memphis, Central Library and Information Center, Memphis, TN – USA 2001
330.000 sqf.
The Central Library for the city of Memphis reflects its educational mission as a library for all people. A welcoming and inviting
center of information and learning, its accessible reading and meeting facilities sustain the community today and provide for
generations of future learners and leaders. The Library responds to the diverse demands of three key constituencies: library staff,
with needs for flexible and adaptive spaces; the city, seeking a civic landmark that harmonizes with a growing metropolis; and
residents, looking for a library that is both an open source of information and a welcoming community center. The facility, which
adapts to evolving technologies and patron use patterns, has wireless technology throughout. The Library was featured in the 2007
book "Heart of the Community: Libraries we Love." Shepley Bulfinch was the design architect in association with Looney Ricks
Kiss of Memphis. (Shepley) see: http://www.lrk.com
Yale University. Irving S. Gilmore Music Library, New Haven, CT – USA 1998
Awards:
Regional Award of Merit 2001, International Illumination Design Awards, Illuminating Engineering Society of North America
Award of Excellence 2000, GE Edison Award Competition
Gold Citation 2000, American School and University Educational Interiors
Honor Award 1999, AIA Connecticut
Yale University's Gilmore Music Library incorporates an existing open-air courtyard and adjacent floor space to form a graceful
"building within a building", within the Collegiate Gothic Sterling Library. Shepley Bulfinch's 1992 Master Plan for the Sterling
Memorial Library had identified the courtyard as a suitable site for the new Music Library. Contemporary, Gothic-inspired, arched
trusses lift the gently curved roof some 60 feet above the Reference Reading area and are anchored to the Library's existing steel
frame construction. Clerestories on all four sides provide reflected indirect light onto the lightly-colored ceiling and into the space
below. The Library's "Grand Reading Room" is on the mezzanine level. Among other specialty spaces are the soundproof Historic
Sound Recording Workroom; two acoustically-isolated Seminar Rooms. In addition to allowing the Sterling Library to remain open
throughout construction, other challenges included building and installing the trusses; and weaving new mechanical, electrical and
life safety systems into the existing building. This adaptive re-use of space helps to reduce energy loss in the existing library building
and minimizes the "footprint" of the overall complex. (Shepley)
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