LAWRENCE PUBLIC LIBRARY ADDITION/RENOVATION creating a new civic hub for the city of lawrence, kansas

Transcription

1 LAWRENCE PUBLIC LIBRARY ADDITION/RENOVATION creating a new civic hub for the city of lawrence, kansas

2 Visibility to neighborhood The continuous wrap of the new addition is designed to respond to each of its contexts Public pool Visibility to plaza Pedestrian connection Communications tower designed by Gould Evans for Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. (now a subsidiary of AT&T). The new library is an addition that wraps the existing structure on all sides, rather than being consolidated onto one portion of the building. Image credit Gould Evans Higher resolution images available upon request

3 The main entry, now marked by an extensive use of glass, opens up the library to the street and community (before and after images taken from the same angle). Photo credit Tim Griffith (left), Gould Evans (right) Higher resolution images available upon request

4 The south façade reveals the public lobby and reading spaces within, overlooking a new public plaza (before and after images taken from the same angle). Photo credit Tim Griffith (top), Gould Evans (bottom) Higher resolution images available upon request

5 The west facade is cantilevered off of the existing library to provide a canopy for a new book drop/service area (before and after images taken from the same angle). Photo credit Tim Griffith (left), Gould Evans (right) Higher resolution images available upon request

6 The new public plaza plays host to community activities and helps anchor the library in the heart of downtown. To the south is a telecommunications tower designed by Gould Evans in 1978 for Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. (now a subsidiary of AT&T). Photo credit Tim Griffith Higher resolution images available upon request

7 The new library has re-emerged as a hub of Lawrence community life. Its adjacent plaza formerly a parking lot now plays host to concerts, a film festival and a variety of library gatherings. Photo credit Tim Griffith Higher resolution images available upon request

8 The terra cotta rainscreen nods to the historic red brick of downtown Lawrence while dramatically improving the building s thermal performance. Photo credit Tim Griffith Higher resolution images available upon request

9 A play of glass and terra cotta at the library s corners reveals glimpses of unique public amenities and provides library users with views to the surrounding community. Photo credit Tim Griffith Higher resolution images available upon request

10 The building is clad in a warm, orange-brown terra cotta rainscreen with two textures for providing color variation and depth. Photo credit Tim Griffith Higher resolution images available upon request

11 The dynamic facade transforms the existing library into a forward-looking, community-centered place. Photo credit Tim Griffith Higher resolution images available upon request

12 The daylit lobby reduces the need for artificial lighting, while transforming a once dark entry experience into a welcoming one. Photo credit Mike Sinclair Higher resolution images available upon request

13 The checkout area, clad in clear-coated tongue-and-groove ash paneling, doubles as an exhibition space. Photo credit Tim Griffith Higher resolution images available upon request

14 A new atrium was cut out of the center of the original library, connecting the basement level all the way up to the new clerestory windows at roof level. A glass sculpture created by a local artist fills the atrium with a wide spectrum of color. Photo credit Mike Sinclair Higher resolution images available upon request

15 Custom doors for the auditorium acoustically dampened to keep sound within integrate with the wood wall when closed and become extensions of the auditorium ceiling when open. Photo credit Tim Griffith Higher resolution images available upon request

16 The renovation places emphasis on community gathering places over silent spaces. Here, the auditorium is used for a children s event. Photo credit Tim Griffith Higher resolution images available upon request

17 Skylights and long, narrow horizontal apertures bring daylight into reading areas. Photo credit Tim Griffith Higher resolution images available upon request

18 Corners of the building are utilized as reflective reading areas, where patrons can enjoy reading with a view. Photo credit Tim Griffith Higher resolution images available upon request

19 The stacks employ bold graphics for clear wayfinding. Photo credit Tim Griffith Higher resolution images available upon request

20 In the children s area, reading niches are inserted between the concrete fins of the existing building to give young readers scale-appropriate spaces to read and play while at the library. Photo credit Tim Griffith Higher resolution images available upon request

21 Reading niches are designed with soft surfaces for comfortable reading and acoustical privacy. Photo credit Tim Griffith Higher resolution images available upon request

22 A detail of a reading niche. Photo credit Tim Griffith Higher resolution images available upon request

23 Lawrence Public Library Expansion, Lawrence, Kansas The expansion of a 1970s Brutalist-style library in downtown Lawrence has transformed it architecturally, reinventing it as a 21st century civic place. The existing library, designed by Lawrence architecture firm Robertson, Peters Ericson, Williams P.A. and constructed in 1972, was uninviting due to poor thermal performance, difficult wayfinding and a lack of daylighting and openness. Library attendance was down, particularly with younger generations. Through extensive community dialogue, the citizens of Lawrence voiced their thoughts and established key design considerations for the project, including an enhanced children s area, greater access to technology and an emphasis on environmental sustainability. The citizens recognized the significance of the library s location in the community and the opportunity it provided to establish a new place within the downtown area. Gould Evans responded with a design that addresses the changing role of the library: from book repository to multimedia community hub. The design for the addition is based on a simple expansion diagram. A continuous reading room wraps the existing library on all sides, transforming it into a forward-looking, community-centered place. Each new elevation opens up to a different public constituency: neighborhoods to the west, the post office to the north, downtown to the east and a new plaza to the south. The new terra cotta façade is solid in areas where book collections need to be protected, employing long, narrow horizontal apertures to bring daylight into reading areas. Each corner is designed with floor-to-ceiling curtain walls that reveal glimpses of unique public amenities, including children s cubby areas, teen gaming zones, small meeting spaces, and a coffee bar in the main lobby. Three primary building materials were selected to work in concert with each other and convey the concept of a continuous experience for patrons. A highperformance terra cotta rain screen is the primary exterior material. This was selected as a gesture to the historic red brick of downtown Lawrence while demonstrating a very modern application: its high-performance assembly helps control thermal transfer from exterior to interior. Clear-coated tongue-andgroove ash paneling installed over the previous exterior walls of the original library form a continuous interior surface, providing warmth in contrast to the original painted concrete walls. An abundant use of glass opens the library up at each of its corners and via new skylights and clerestories, brings light into the core of the original library. To aid in the goal of achieving a warm, open, light-filled and welcoming place, a new atrium was cut out of the center of the original library, connecting the basement level to all the way up to the new clerestory windows at roof level. A glass sculpture created by a local artist fills the atrium with a wide spectrum of color. In addition to stacks for books and periodicals, the addition and renovation provides dedicated areas for different age groups and places emphasis on community gathering places over silent spaces. New youth areas are organized around two main zones: a younger children s zone and a teen zone, each with appropriately scaled technologies. The younger children s zone has independent study areas, play areas and computer zones. The teen zone is similarly organized between print and electronic media. The electronic media spaces are visible to the streetscape along a main pedestrian artery, conveying the library s identity as a 21st century facility. Meeting and maker spaces are distributed throughout the library, adjacent to and in support of the other library spaces. One key space that has become particularly popular is the Sound + Vision Room: a community access recording studio complete with a drum set and instruments. Lawrence has an active music culture and the Sound + Vision Room is used by local musicians to make recordings, such as demo tapes. Within a few months of the library s reopening, user visits increased 55% over the previous year, with youth program attendance up 160%.

24 A new plaza park adjacent to the library entry was part of the project. This park accommodates both library and community functions with an informal stepped amphitheater, an events plaza and support for an ice-skating rink over the holiday season. In addition to the planned events, the park provides informal space as an outdoor reading area and as a connector to the community swimming pool and the larger downtown area. The sustainable design strategy for the addition focused on increasing energy efficiency via daylight harvesting throughout the interior, improving thermal performance via the terra cotta rain screen system, and strategic sun-shading to eliminate glare. While not tied directly to energy savings, the existing building and mechanical systems were re-used rather than completely replaced which reduced some of the embedded energy involved in building a new structure. The net result of these strategies was the library was able to increase its size by 50% while actually reducing the building s energy consumption. The building is in the LEED certification process. The building has recently been recognized with a Landmark Libraries Award by Library Journal, as well as the Honor Award for Excellence in Architecture by the AIA Kansas. About Gould Evans Gould Evans is a design and planning firm whose principals and associates are united around a common vision: to create environments that transform their surroundings, engage their occupants, sustain their environment and support our clients missions. Our portfolio is intentionally diverse, encompassing civic buildings, cultural institutions, higher education projects, research facilities, living spaces, athletics facilities, workplaces, environmental branding and urban planning. Our designs have garnered local, regional and national awards for their specificity to people and place. Founded in 1974 by two former University of Kansas School of Architecture classmates who shared a passion for regional architecture and design, today our 11 principals lead more than 140 associates across five studios in locations as diverse as Lawrence, Kansas City, San Francisco, Phoenix and New Orleans. To learn more, visit Team Credits Architecture/Interior Design: Gould Evans Photo Credits: Tim Griffith, Mike Sinclair Structural Engineering: Bob D. Campbell and Co., Inc. Mechanical Engineering: Professional Engineering Consultants, PA Sustainable Design Consulting: Syska Hennessey Group, Inc Landscape Architecture: Bartlett & West Engineers, Inc. Civil Engineering: Bartlett & West Engineers, Inc. For additional information contact: Megan Krtek, / megan.krtek@gouldevans.com

25 Site Plan Image credit Gould Evans Higher resolution images available upon request

26 LOWER-LEVEL PLAN main-level PLAN Entry Lobby 2 Auditorium 3 Checkout/Exhibition Space 4 Building Support 5 Fiction 6 Reading Area 7 Children/Young Adult 8 Nonfiction 9 Children s Program Room 10 Atrium 11 Computer Lab 12 Sound + Vision Studio (Recording) Floor Plans Image credit Gould Evans Higher resolution images available upon request

27 New Construction New Atrium New Construction Existing Building 1 Atrium 2 Nonfiction 3 Adult Reading Area 4 Children/Young Adult 5 Building Support 6 Book Drop-off/Deliveries 7 Restrooms 8 Meeting Rooms 9 Children s Program Room 10 Sound + Vision Studio (Recording) Building Section (main entrance is forward of section cut). Image credit Gould Evans Higher resolution images available upon request

28 South Elevation Image credit Gould Evans Higher resolution images available upon request

29 East Elevation Image credit Gould Evans Higher resolution images available upon request

30 North Elevation Image credit Gould Evans Higher resolution images available upon request

31 West Elevation Image credit Gould Evans Higher resolution images available upon request