Library Buildings around the World

Middle Tennessee State University, the region´s oldest and largest public university, approached Miller & Partners to design a new
library for the campus. TMP designed the James E. Walker Library as thevfocal point of the academic quadrangle, while housing
state-of-the-art technology, additional research capabilities and a quiet refuge for student and faculty to study and work. Key aspects
of the library include:
Vertically stacked staff areas to minimize walking distance and time
Cost-efficient construction materials that were resistant vibration, noise and fire
Interior design capitalizing on natural light and structural simplicity
Reading and study areas along the building perimeter to take advantage of the windows and campus views
Deep-cell parabolic fixtures in study areas to eliminate glare, with the wiring contained within built-in furniture
Strategically located telecommunication spaces and pathways above lay-in ceilings (Thomas)
The Eskind Biomedical Library, Nashville, TN – USA 1994
Awards:
Award Excellence for Library Architecture AIA / ALA 1999
Honor Award AIA Gulf State 1994
Excellence in Design AIA New York State 1995
Honor Award AIA Tennessee 1994
Thomas, Miller & Partners worked as architect of record in association with Davis, Brody and Associates of New York to design The
Annette and Irwin Eskind Biomedical Library. The five-story library is considered the “crown jewel” of the medical campus by
Vanderbilt University Medical Center officials. Key aspects of the new library include:
Integrated information systems, academic research, medical archives, classrooms, workstations and laboratories
A transparent glass curtain wall outside the facility that serves as a structural highlight while infusing light into interior sections of
the library. (Thomas)
Doris and Harry Vise Library, Lebanon, TN – USA 1989/1990
In October of 1989 a new library building opened its doors on campus. It is named the Doris & Harry Vise Library after its principle
benefactor Harry Vise, founder of the Texas Boot
Company and a Trustee Emeritus of the University. Mr. Vise, who currently lives in Nashville, is a Jewish immigrant who barely
escaped Nazi Germany in 1939. Shortly after its construction, the building was selected as a winner of the Middle
Tennessee Excellence in Development Award. The Library is 18,000-square-feet and houses meeting rooms and study areas,
computer and audio-visual facilities,
the University Archives, and special collections in Tennessee History, Nobel Laureates, Women’s Studies, and Children’s
and Young Adult Literature.
(http://www.sitemason.com/files/gjYbBK/The%20Vise%20Spring%202010.pdf)
TKDA, St. Paul, MN – USA
http://www.tkda.com
Libraries:
Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College, Campus Library, Hayward, WI – USA 2007
Traditional Ojibwa imagery adorns the new library at the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College campus in Hayward,
Wisconsin. In addition to traditional library functions, the building offers space for the tribal community to gather, grow and learn.
The natural wood building exterior compliments surrounding campus buildings and the new TKDA-designed campus entrance. The
Sacred Tree and Circle are felt throughout the design from the new grand campus entrance to the carpet inlays in the wigwam.
Everything from the porcelain tile to the oak desks and book shelves were inspired by nature and the beautiful rural site of the
college. “This library has been a dream for a very long time,” said Dr. Dannielle M. Hornett, LCOCC’s president. “It has finally
come to fruition and will be wonderful for our students and the LCO community at large.” (TKDA)
Concordia University, Library & Technology Center, St. Paul, MI – USA 2003
40.000 sqf., $ 6.400.000
Concordia University, a private Lutheran college set on an urban campus in St. Paul, Minn., was interested in designing a library
and technology center to support and serve the educational needs of the Concordia community for the next millennium. Responding
to the mission of the university, a bible verse is inscribed on the building’s exterior:“How much better to get than gold, to choose
understanding rather than silver.”—Proverbs 16:16. The new Library Technology Center provides a link between the existing
library and theater. This 40,000-square-foot, three-level building (two floors above ground and a lower level) became an important
link in the campuswide, weather-protected pedestrian circulation system. The building, together with a new vehicle turnaround,
provides a redesigned campus entrance. Architectural precast concrete replicates the limestone masonry of the historic campus
buildings. Expansive glass areas enclose the building and open the activity of the facility to the campus, particularly at night. Cherry
wood interior trim and casework, along with warm colors, provide visual excitement. The interior architecture and furnishings were
developed and selected to support technology. ( http://www.schooldesigns.com )
Campus Library, University of Minnesota, Duluth, MN –USA 2000
The landmark $26 million Main Campus Library at the University of Minnesota-Duluth kicked off a decade-long building program
that elevated the quality of the school’s architecture and transformed the campus. As Lead Designer, TKDA Principal Ken Johnson
collaborated with Stageberg Beyer Sachs Architects on library planning, programming and design. A sawtooth western elevation
and a two-story curved reading room on the north side of the building soften the square exterior form. On the building’s south side,
a sheltered courtyard invites students to study or socialize outside during warm weather. Rotunda reading rooms, each two stories
high, give library patrons 270-degree views of Lake Superior and the surrounding area. The main reading room, on the north side,
has large vertical windows that face scenic campus vistas. Internal balconies allow daylight to penetrate each floor and provide views
from study and collections areas. (TKDA)
TLCD Architecture, Santa Rosa, CA – USA
The role of libraries has evolved dramatically over the last ten years. No longer just a place for books, a new library becomes the
heart of the community or campus, a study center, a meeting place. Our new library designs include learning centers, bibliographic
instruction centers, media centers, group study rooms, classrooms, distance learning facilities, art galleries, public meeting rooms
and cafes.
http://www.tlcd.com
Libraries:
Library & Learning Resource Center, Mendocino College, Ukiah, CA – USA 2012
The new Library and outdoor spaces clearly mark the focal point of the Mendocino Community College campus. The new buildings
and landscape weave into the existing campus structure and bring life to the library while still respecting the scale and structure of
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