Expert Opinion

Tomorrow’s library will be even more evolved from today’s greatly redefined facilities. Where we have seen the change from the basic book repository to a community-focused destination filled with the latest technologies, best sellers, research capabilities, home-like atmospheres, and multigenerational programming, the library of tomorrow will have greater demands placed on it by the communities it serves. Green building and sustainable design will be the standard to which all buildings will be designed.

CASE STUDY The city of Hastings, MI, was able to build its new library totally from contributions from the community. Library director Barbara Schondelmayer was committed to green building and sustainable design practices, and, as a result, the new library will attain either Silver or Gold level LEED recognition very soon. The design allows for great flexibility of spaces and future technologies, all the while [making the library] the new city destination with the comforts of home.

The new library is taking center stage as the central hub of activity. This changing nature of libraries will inspire architects and clients to think broadly and creatively about space and the synergies between the library and the greater community.

CASE STUDY The Christopher Center of Valparaiso University, IN, brings academic and student union functions into the main campus library. Beyond its utility as a library, we hear it’s the best place to hang out on campus. The community room is the hallmark space, serving both the campus and community at large. By day, it’s populated with comfy chairs, tables, and a Steinway grand piano. In the evening, it hosts up to 250 guests (the largest event space on campus) for sit-down dinners. The university and the library were never concerned about this space giving a mixed message; we followed their lead and made it the premiere venue on campus.

In recent times, libraries have become the central gathering place of a community and, as such, should reflect the needs and tastes of its residents. To meet a community’s growing needs, libraries in the future will have to incorporate sustainable design, provide access to the latest technology, and serve as architectural touchstones that artfully reflect regional heritage and culture.

CASE STUDY The Mission Valley Library is an urban branch located in the heart of San Diego’s Mission Valley. We reached out to the community to shape the vision for its design, and the overarching concept was a direct outgrowth of insights gained during community workshops: “The new Mission Valley Library should respect the historical past of this area, vividly represent the present, and focus an eye toward the future.” Consequently, the centerpiece of our design is an asymmetrical building with a shallow vaulted metal roof, which is reminiscent of the dairy farms and metal-roofed cow barns that once dotted the landscape of this rich agricultural valley, while the curvilinear plan for the space reflects the fluid motion of the San Diego River, which surrounds the building. It was honored with the Best Institutional Design Award from the San Diego chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA).