Welcomed by the Light

When administrators at Glendale Public Library, CA, realized that another service point was needed in the Adams Square neighborhood, they weren't content to just make do with a storefront. They sought out an interesting architectural venue and worked with design professionals to make the most out of its unique features. The Library Connection @ Adams Square, housed in a 2200 square foot space and formed by curved window-covered walls, is just such a place.

What makes the unique space work is the customized system of translucent shelving that hugs the walls while allowing in light. The Flex Shelving System was designed by Osborn, which handled the entire renovation. The firm's design principal, Michael Pinto, explained the challenge as an “opportunity to use the shelving system in situations where natural light and storage needs collide.” Formed of laser-cut acrylic with perforations that let in patterns of light, the shelving offers dual-sided displays. People outside the building will be able to see what the library has, “amplifying the fluid relationship between an institution and its stakeholders through material transparency,” offered Pinto.

The shelving, held up by black steel supports, also can accommodate flat-screen panels. Originally, the idea was to install a transparent screen that would simultaneously display inside and outside, said Carolyn Flemming, Glendale's neighborhood libraries and children's services administrator. When that proved too costly, the library installed standard flat-screen TVs on the wall for branding, “wayfinding,” and more. Flemming wants to study further how ambient lighting works in the space before committing to other projects.

The shelves are accommodating—the material provides protection from ultraviolet rays and has a nonglare finish. They can be angled to display materials or to conceal harsh lighting.

The cost for the entire project was $1.2 million, which includes everything—the renovation, 16' x 10' window replacements, a new door, ADA-compliant restrooms, infrastructure upgrades, computers, materials, and furniture. The shelving, including all materials and fabrication, cost about $100,000, while construction came in at $610,000, according to Pinto.

To make the most of the small space, Flemming chose adaptable furnishings, such as mushroom-shaped, stackable floor cushions with removable, washable covers. These are accompanied by chairs offering “punches of color,” tables on wheels that flip down for multitasking, and light aluminum stackable seats. The room is a pearlescent grey, which glows when sunlight streams in through the shelving.

Pinto said a college bookstore and an elementary school could adapt the shelving, but the library project remains unique. “For us, the library is interesting because it uses the system in a totalized way. The library is the shelving.”