Library Buildings around the World

SmithGroup, Detroit, MI – USA
http://www.smithgroup.com
Libraries:
Durham Main Library, Durham , NC – USA 2012
Bill Bryson returned to Durham University on Tuesday November 27, to rename the main library and open its new wing.
The opening of the £11m East Wing at the Bill Bryson library makes the main library building 42 per cent bigger and provides 500
new study spaces across four floors.
The development is part of Gateway, Durham University’s major £60m estates project which incorporates a new Law School and a
dedicated building for student support services, The Palatine Centre.
The new East Wing has been designed to produce a light and spacious study environment, including 21 individual and six group
study rooms.
It has enabled the library to rearrange its collection of 1.5m books into one sequence and to make 120,000 books previously in
storage available in open access shelving for the first time.
(http://designinglibraries.org.uk/index/asp?PageID=313)
New York Law School, New York, NY – USA 2010
New: 200.000 sqf., € 80.000.000 / Renovation: 150.000 sqf., € 30.000.000
Awards:
Best Project Management, (submitted by Pavarini McGovern), New York Construction, 2009
Project of the Year--Higher Education/Research, (submitted by Pavarini McGovern), New York Construction, 2009
Founded in 1891, New York Law School is one of the oldest independent law schools in the country. In recent years, its fundamental
mission has been outreach and exchange. Located right in the hub of New York City's legal and financial districts in lower
Manhattan, the school's bustling site is a key component of its identity. SmithGroup's new building features a transparent envelope
that will both enclose the space and display to the outside the high degree of activity taking place within. The new wing contains
classrooms, a large auditorium and a multipurpose space, allowing the law school to host a wide variety of events. The increased
opportunity to interact with members of the outside community underscores the school's interest in sustaining its outreach and
exchange. New York Law School's current facilities consist of disparate structures including several early 19th-century cast iron
buildings that do not contain appropriate spaces for a contemporary legal education. This new design, which features a five-level,
200-foot glass façade, will give the school new clarity and visibility. Phase 2 will create innovative centers for advanced scholarship
and research. (SmithGroup)
Sam Garcia Western Avenue Library, Avondale, AZ – USA 2009
12.000 sqf., € 6.200.000
Awards:
Citation Award, AIA Arizona, 2009
Honorable Mention, Best of the West Awards, Westmarc, 2009
Best of Show, PRIDE (Professional Recognition in Interior Design Excellence) Awards, IIDA (International Interior Design
Association), Southwest Chapter, 2009
Design Excellence Award (Public Facility), PRIDE (Professional Recognition in Interior Design Excellence) Awards, IIDA
(International Interior Design Association), Southwest Chapter, 2009
Marking the launch of the revitalization and rebirth of Old Town Avondale, the new library provides a touchstone for one of
Arizona's fastest growing communities. The City requested a new facility that was open and inviting, a catalyst to spur
redevelopment of the historic area. Located adjacent to an existing police station and fire station, the library is sited on a previous
car wash. The facility's clean lines provide an eye-catching addition to the streetscape, while improvements to the outdoor Sernas
Plaza next door create a flexible community gathering space within the Old Town city core. The ground floor is dedicated to children
and community with a story time reading room. Adult and teen reading interests are located on the second level, capturing scenic
views of the Valley, Estrella Mountains and the Old Town neighborhood. Transparency and openness were key design goals for the
City. The glass façade connects activity inside the library with passing pedestrians and retail shopping across the road. Highlighted
by a vibrant and colorful interior, agile floor plates maximize exposure to natural light and support flexibility. The
SmithGroup|Sundt design-build team solutions improved outdoor lighting, pedestrian and vehicular circulation as well as access to
advanced technologies and upgraded City support facilities. Completed several weeks ahead of schedule, the new library welcomes a
diverse patron population and sparked renewed interest in the City's public library system. (SmithGroup)
University of California, Hastings College of the Law, San Francisco, CA – USA 2005 – 2007
Library Cost: 80.000 sqf., € 4.000.000
For over a decade, SmithGroup has partnered with UC Hastings College of the Law to renovate and modernize their campus,
balancing their historic roots as California's first law school with the current trends in law education and amenities attractive to
today's students. Most recently, Hastings turned to SmithGroup again to reinvent their library, while simultaneously executing a full
seismic retrofit of the building -- creating an accessible, comfortable and safe learning environment. The existing library, burdened
with squat ceilings, limited daylight and disorganized wayfinding, lacked energy, imagination and interaction. Promoting a sense of
community and pride, the renovation supports visual connectivity, revives vitality and heightens operational efficiency. Thoughtful
use of color invigorates collaboration and organizes spatial relationships. Flexible spaces accommodate large and small gatherings of
students, faculty and staff. Housed within the urban fabric of the civic community, the library has become a social hub for
camaraderie and enhances the student experience. Hastings, while affiliated with the University of California system, is a small
institution autonomous from the larger UC system. Addressing the goals, aspirations, and concerns of multiple user groups, the
design process challenged library and university staff to think long-term and plan for future changes within the legal profession and
education. Conscious of the financial constraints governing the overall cost of the project, the design team executed a uniquely fitting
design in a timely and sensible manner. The result: a vibrant and dynamic library that complements the energy of San Francisco
while accommodating the needs of all who use the space. (SmithGroup) "The collaborative nature of the project team was a major
component to the success of this project... On behalf of the Dean, Board of Directors, and students, faculty and staff, we express our
collective appreciation for the creative, functional and visually stunning design of the dramatically upgraded facility. We couldn't be
more pleased with the positive outcome." David Seward, Chief Financial Officer, Hastings College of the Law
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