DESIGN TREND Iconic Entrances and Transparent Floors

You have arrived. This year’s libraries emphasize entrances by visually drawing community members into and through their doors with light, color, height, and plenty of glass or openings throughout their buildings so people can find where they want to go. 

Hayden Library, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA. Soft geometric shapes pull the eye from the main floor up through to the suspended stairwell of the upper floors. Warm grey felted sound baffling anchors the shape of the stairs to provide cohesion. CREDITS Kennedy and Violich Architecture, architect; John Horner, photo.

Chalmers Library, Kenyon College, Gambler, OH. Double-height windows look both outward and inward, offering visual connectivity between all the spaces, including an interior courtyard housed within a curved glass ceiling.  CREDITS GUND Partnership, architect; ©James D. DeCamp,  photo.

Central Library, Spokane Public Library, WA. Mirrored ceiling tiles reflect activity throughout the main stairwell, featuring a lithe and iridescent art piece that spans three floors.  CREDITS Group 4 Architecture, Research + Planning, Inc.; Integrus Architecture, architect; Aileen Allen, photo.

Library of Accessible Media for Pennsylvanians (LAMP), Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA. Bold, illuminated red tile and a wood-slatted awning anchors the entrance to LAMP. The same color is repeated in the interior of the first floor, encouraging movement into and through the building.  CREDITS GBBN, architect; photos ©2022 Ed Massery Photography.

Liberty Park Library, Spokane Public Library, WA. Breaking from the angular framing of windows and a wide awning, and the vertical cladding, Liberty Park’s entryway is moored by a circular orange room that features a meeting area and seating as you walk into the building. CREDITS Integrus Architecture, architect; photo ©2022 Lara Swimmer.