The scope of this project involved the restoration of the 33,000 square-foot historic 1904 Carnegie Library and the construction of a new 244,000 square-foot addition and a 550-car underground parking garage. Given the constrained 3.4 acre urban site, the completion of this work entailed careful coordination and phasing; as the first phase of construction was completed, the demolition of outdated and obsolete facilities made room for subsequent phases. An effective logistics plan ensured the library was only closed a total of 15 days during the entire three-year construction period.
The original library’s Vermont marble and granite exterior was completely restored as were the ornate interiors. New advanced voice, video and data communication systems were installed, the existing electrical and mechanical systems were replaced, and the entire facility was brought up to ADA compliance. In addition to increasing the library’s capacity to 928,000 volumes, the new addition also features a wide range of meeting rooms and a 200-seat auditorium/multi-purpose room. A central three-story atrium aids visitors in navigating through the collections and promotes convenient vertical circulation between the floors.