As part of a $1.2 billion capital improvement program for Temple University’s Main Campus, the school commissioned Stantec and Snøhetta to design a new library to replace the existing 1960s facility.
The resulting 220,000-sf Charles Library is a technology rich, dynamic environment that anticipates over five million annual visitors. The library’s exterior is highlighted by a solid base clad in split-faced granite and large wooden arched entrances cut into the stone volume. Glass is included at all three entrances to allow natural light into the building and create a sense of transparency.
Once inside the building, visitors are greeted by a three-story atrium that offers views of every floor and corner of the building. Light fills the space from an oculus on the top floor and a steel main staircase is located near the information desk. This desk acts as the first interface between library staff and students and facilitates their access to the library collection.
See Also: UMass Amherst’s Worcester Commons to be built on an existing parking lot
The collection includes 13,800 new title volumes near the main entry, 260,000 volumes in browsable stacks, 31,000 special collection volumes in secure high-density storage, and 1.8 million volumes located within an automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) known as BookBot. The BookBot space is 57 feet tall, spanning three floors, and allows holdings previously housed in off-site deep storage to be relocated on-site. Thanks to BookBot, the space required for book storage is drastically reduced, enabling space for collaboration, academic resources, and individual study space, and access to the library’s collection is expanded.
The library’s second and third floors are anchored by the Student Success Center, which offers writing and tutoring support; the Loretta C. Duckworth Scholars studio, which provides access to digital fabrication and immersive technologies; and Temple University Press. On the fourth floor are two expansive reading rooms, dedicated to graduate, faculty, and undergraduate study.
The fourth floor is glazed on all four sides providing views of a 47,300-sf green roof that covers over 70% of the building’s roof surface. The roof is integrated into the building’s stormwater management system, which is designed to capture rainwater from the campus and manage all rainwater runoff. Forty meeting rooms and study spaces are dispersed throughout the building and are available for reservation. Hunt Engineering was the civil engineer and LERA was the Structural Engineer for the project. Daniel J. Keating was the contractor.
Related Stories
Libraries | Apr 21, 2016
New renderings released for Herzog & de Meuron’s National Library of Israel
The library is based around the light well in the center of a concave roof, a feature that will illuminate the spacious second story and the ground level.
Libraries | Apr 18, 2016
Best in Library Design: AIA names seven projects 2016 Library Building Awards winners
Snøhetta’s Ryerson University student center and the Billings (Mont.) Public Library by Will Bruder+Partners highlight the seven winning projects.
Libraries | Jan 26, 2016
Snøhetta designs research library at Temple University
The firm emphasized collaborative spaces, but the library will have room for plenty of books as well.
| Jan 14, 2016
How to succeed with EIFS: exterior insulation and finish systems
This AIA CES Discovery course discusses the six elements of an EIFS wall assembly; common EIFS failures and how to prevent them; and EIFS and sustainability.
Libraries | Aug 27, 2015
Barack Obama Foundation begins search for presidential library architect
Both national and foreign firms will compete for chance to design the Chicago-based Presidential Center.
Libraries | Apr 29, 2015
Designs for earthquake-resistant New Central Library in New Zealand unveiled
The Danish firm Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects won the competition to design the New Central Library in Christchurch, New Zealand, which will replace the old building damaged by devastating earthquakes in 2010 and 2011.
Cultural Facilities | Apr 7, 2015
Mies’ Martin Luther King Jr. Library to get makeover
The architects say the modernization aims to improve “Mies in a contemporary Miesian way.”
Libraries | Apr 2, 2015
6 award-winning libraries showcase next-gen design strategies
The new Cedar Rapids Public Library and the restored Slover Library in Norfolk, Va., are among six breakthrough projects honored with 2015 AIA/ALA Library Building Awards.
Sponsored | Cladding and Facade Systems | Mar 24, 2015
Designers turn a struggling mall into a hub of learning and recreation
Architects help Nashville government transform a struggling mall into a new community space.
Retail Centers | Mar 10, 2015
Retrofit projects give dying malls new purpose
Approximately one-third of the country’s 1,200 enclosed malls are dead or dying. The good news is that a sizable portion of that building stock is being repurposed.