
One of our favorite places to go when visiting a new city is the public library. Many urban areas have begun to rejuvenate and reinvent their public library buildings, transforming them into modern technology and community hubs and architectural icons.
And in major cities across the U.S., the main branch isn’t the only one getting a face-lift. Of Chicago Public Library’s 80 branches, the storied Harold Washington Library is the city’s central branch and a gleaming visual treat for any visitor. But, a new branch, located in the city’s exploding West Loop neighborhood, offers its own version of blending history with the future.
The AIA Illinois Honor Awards recently bestowed its 2019 Frank Lloyd Wright Award upon the Chicago Public Library, West Loop Branch. Designed by the award-winning Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the building is a beacon of Chicago’s strong architectural tradition. According to the award’s press announcement, the project was selected for the Frank Lloyd Wright Award for its “achievement in enhancing the natural and built environment of a community through the new design or renovation of an individual building.”
From project notes:
“The new West Loop Library is the first-ever Chicago Public Library branch in the community and the 81st for the city. Donated to the City of Chicago by Sterling Bay as part of the ongoing development and transformation of the West Loop, the two-story adaptive reuse project preserves the industrial character of two buildings that were formerly part of the Harpo Studios campus, while creating a new cultural and social center for the neighborhood.”
“Formerly part of the campus of a Chicago-based international television production company, the interiors of the original buildings had been heavily segmented and modified to meet the needs of television production. The expansive wooden ceiling trusses had been concealed, the historic brick walls hidden, hardwood floors tarnished, and partition walls erected throughout to minimize daylight and views through the space. Outside, the exterior lacked a coherent identity, appearing understated on the street: beige stucco and painted brick allowed it to blend into its surroundings.”
“Working closely with the client and the Chicago Public Library system, beginning in 2017, the design team lead by SOM identified areas of opportunity to unify the two buildings, with a powerful contextual exterior and unique interior spaces to realize the most significant impact for library patrons, while preserving the historic elements of the buildings.”
“Formed of two existing conjoined buildings, the library features a weathered steel exterior, which develops a protective rust-like patina over time, to unify the facade and guide visitors through the steel-framed entrance. The renovated interior exposes the previously concealed original bow-truss ceilings and skylights to create a light-filled, loft-like space that reflects the West Loop’s factory-warehouse style. Non-structural walls that divided former TV studios and office spaces were removed throughout the 16,500 square-foot space, while new openings were created in the common wall of the conjoined buildings to create a unified interior. Low-level mahogany-topped bookshelves and blackened steel elements are featured throughout to establish a sense of visual continuity and create intimate reading, study, play, and staff spaces.”
“The new, 16,500 square-foot library includes several contemporary features, framed by a series of architectural and graphic interventions throughout the building. It includes adult and children’s reading spaces, flexible community and meeting rooms, and a YOUmedia teen digital learning space with a recording studio. A “Tinkering Lab” offers digital and maker space for younger children, who are also served by several early learning areas that transform existing alcoves into storytelling rooms with interactive play elements and walls with magnetic and writeable surfaces.”