Library by Design Building Tour | A Green Beacon
A branch renovation and expansion in Minneapolis moves a community forward while referencing the local area's past. By Rebecca Miller Aug 8, 2011NORTH BY NORTHEAST The renovation of the Northeast branch of Minneapolis's Hennepin County Library incorporates sustainable features with savvy design choices to create a community space that harks back to the past while marching boldly into the future
A series of small oak tables signal the detailed care that went into the expansion and renovation of the Northeast branch of the Hennepin County Library. They are made from remnants of a large tree that had to be removed from the side of the library, explained Cuningham Group Architecture associate principal Sara Weiner, during a tour of the library held this May in conjunction with the LJ Design Institute. That inherently green choice was just one of many throughout the 16,500 square foot facility.
With a grand opening in April, the library hosts the latest in sustainable features, from the reuse of an existing building to low-flow fixtures in the bathrooms, energy-efficient HVAC and lights, low-maintenance native plantings, and much more.
In a surprise to everyone involved in the project, the renovation revealed a series of underused clerestory windows, tucked up in the stepped roofline of the existing building. Exposed and reconditioned, they are part of the building’s daylighting system, which also deploys sensors to balance light as needed throughout the day.
Meshing old and new
The new addition makes the most of the heights reached by that stepped roof. A simple but dramatic box, it creates a soaring interior space that provides an uplifting counterpart to the more sequestered refuges fostered by the lower ceilings in the existing building.
This new area, which holds the nonfiction collection, also encompasses a variety of seating areas. A long counter with a window at surface height allows patrons to study their books or the street scene, while a reading area with lounge seating anchors an expansive glass corner, celebrating community on the inside and registering transparency from the outside.
Clever and stylish
Nearby, the single service desk is a clever and stylish contraption designed for flexibility tomorrow and a happy staff today. A stepped, three-sided box holds two desks that raise or lower to fit whoever is working at them at a given time. It overlooks a series of public access computers and is within easy reach of several self-service points. Bright blond wood enlivens the space, while metallic accents keep it contemporary.
In a savvy choice for a neighborhood library, surface space dividers are lined with black-and-white images from the local history collection. Like those oak tables, which keep the memory of the tree alive, these photographs help anchor the community in its past even as they—and the construction as a whole—project the library firmly into the future.
This article originally appeared in print in the Library by Design supplement published by LJ on Sep. 15, 2011. Read on for more Library by Design articles and ongoing architecture coverage from LJ.
