Yesterday, the city of Chicago inaugurated its Public Library’s 81st branch, a 16,500-sf adaptive reuse of a two-story building in the Windy City’s West Loop neighborhood, which itself is being transformed into a live-work-play community.
The former office and studio building is West Loop’s first library. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill’s design preserves the building’s industrial character while creating a new cultural and social center for the neighborhood. Blinderman Construction conducted the renovation.
The library, consisting of two conjoined buildings, features a weathered steel exterior that helps 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 neighborhood’s factory-warehouse style.
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill's design retained the building's original bowed-truss ceiling. Image: Tom Harris
Non-structural walls that divided former TV studios and office spaces were removed, and new openings in the common wall between the buildings create a unified interior. Low-level bookshelves are featured throughout the reading spaces to foster a sense of visual continuity and movement.
The library, with 10,000 sf on the ground floor, has a total occupancy of 447. Its second floor includes 2,100 sf for five reservable meeting and study rooms, and around 3,500 sf for two conference rooms.
A reading and play space for younger children. Image: Tom Harris
The new facility includes adult and children's reading spaces, 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.
The developer Sterling Bay donated the building in exchange for being allowed to shift its air rights to the developer’s adjacent 16-story Hyatt Hotel development on May Street, according to Curbed Chicago. The $2.3 million renovation project was funded by a mix of private donations and $976,000 from the city’s Neighborhood Opportunity Bonus program, which provides increased height and density allowances for downtown construction projects in exchange for voluntary developer payments.
“The new West Loop library branch is a proud example of how city officials come together with private partners to build strong neighborhoods, and provide a place for all community residents to gather, share and succeed,” said Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel, during the opening ceremony.
The library's enclosed “Tinkering Lab” includes collaborative spaces with writable surfaces. Image: Tom Harris
Related Stories
| Sep 24, 2014
Architecture billings see continued strength, led by institutional sector
On the heels of recording its strongest pace of growth since 2007, there continues to be an increasing level of demand for design services signaled in the latest Architecture Billings Index.
| Sep 22, 2014
4 keys to effective post-occupancy evaluations
Perkins+Will's Janice Barnes covers the four steps that designers should take to create POEs that provide design direction and measure design effectiveness.
| Sep 22, 2014
Sound selections: 12 great choices for ceilings and acoustical walls
From metal mesh panels to concealed-suspension ceilings, here's our roundup of the latest acoustical ceiling and wall products.
| Sep 9, 2014
Using Facebook to transform workplace design
As part of our ongoing studies of how building design influences human behavior in today’s social media-driven world, HOK’s workplace strategists had an idea: Leverage the power of social media to collect data about how people feel about their workplaces and the type of spaces they need to succeed.
| Sep 7, 2014
Behind the scenes of integrated project delivery — successful tools and applications
The underlying variables and tools used to manage collaboration between teams is ultimately the driving for success with IPD, writes CBRE Healthcare's Megan Donham.
| Sep 3, 2014
New designation launched to streamline LEED review process
The LEED Proven Provider designation is designed to minimize the need for additional work during the project review process.
| Sep 2, 2014
Ranked: Top green building sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
AECOM, Gensler, and Turner top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest green design and construction firms.
| Aug 25, 2014
Ranked: Top cultural facility sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Arup, Gensler, and Turner head BD+C's rankings of design and construction firms with the most revenue from cultural facility projects, as reported in the 2014 Giants 300 Report.
| Jul 28, 2014
Reconstruction market benefits from improving economy, new technology [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Following years of fairly lackluster demand for commercial property remodeling, reconstruction revenue is improving, according to the 2014 Giants 300 report.
| Jul 28, 2014
Reconstruction Sector Construction Firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Structure Tone, Turner, and Gilbane top Building Design+Construction's 2014 ranking of the largest reconstruction contractor and construction management firms in the U.S.
