Princeton PL's Interior Mix

Focus groups and veteran librarians gain inspiration from surroundings.

By Leslie Burger & Joseph C. Rizzo -- Library Journal, 09/15/2005

Walking into the Princeton Public Library, NJ, customers should feel the warmth of a family living room, be engaged by a friendly bookstore environment, and encounter an information age gathering place. Turning those descriptions into a physical space—a three-story, 58,000 square foot building that opened in February 2004—took several years and involved hundreds of people. Two segments proved pivotal: librarians and community focus groups. Having waited for this chance for years, both offered many ideas.

The library is almost twice the size of its predecessor and includes all the features you'd expect to find in libraries today: more than 100 computers, a totally wireless building with hot spots that extend outside to an adjoining plaza, spacious browsing areas, a gourmet café, a 150-seat meeting room, a technology center, group study rooms, a conference room, two working fireplaces, a teen center, and a children's space triple the size of the area it replaced.

Rather than propose a rigid design, the authors, along with the library board, offered the community a vision of what a library for Princeton should represent and asked for their input. This helped stir the imagination of numerous residents. We presented the building as "the community's living room," with books as well as many other resources to attract those who otherwise might have no reason to mingle.

We wanted to know what to include in this decidedly large and very public "living room"— and how it should be organized.

Through focus groups with community members, we learned that the amenities most desired are cozy areas, lots of comfortable seating, a place to eat and a place to meet, and, most of all, special spaces for children and teens— along with plenty of research technology. Librarians sought quiet places to work, but they most wanted visible centers to interact with patrons—both at traditional service desks and at "quick hit" spots throughout each collection area.

The underlying message from both: we want the opportunity to see and be seen but also to be able to remain undisturbed by noise. This was accomplished through a simple floor plate, varying little from floor to floor, which allowed the creation of recognizable zones on each level. The selection and placement of materials and furniture, as well as the subtle and deliberate use of color, helped create different environments, encourage specific activities, and embrace a diverse community.

The library, which occupies one of the town's busiest corners, is sheathed in traditional brick and contemporary glass. This evokes the look of nearby buildings, which are a pleasant mix of traditional structures and contemporary ones. Its giant glass walls provide a lively "theatricality" to its broad street front. The main stage is a well-used "floating" glass staircase, which connects the building's three floors.

Each of the three library floors is color-coded. Color brings visual focus to areas linked to a core library function, such as the circulation or information desks, whereas reading nooks and other "passive" spaces are bathed in neutral tones. Color accents in the furniture and carpet point back to the basic color scheme. Since the general landscape of the library is natural maple wood, the designers chose a natural color palette—muted primary colors with an earthy quality.

To give the library a user-friendly feel, without ignoring the realities of having to store lots of books, the interior design includes a mix of traditional library book shelves as well as custom-made retail-style display units on every floor.

Further, the design employs "systems furniture," intended for offices and appropriate for a 21st-century library. Lightweight, easily moved chairs and tables give librarians plenty of flexibility to organize spaces around special events and offer patrons a wide variety of choices for reading a book, pulling up a laptop, or engaging in quiet conversation.

The overall effect: a crisp, clean, timeless modern look that brings together the apparently divergent goals of a living room and a community space. No wonder new library visits have more than doubled.

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