The new library replaces an outmoded subterranean library, reestablishing the street façade that gives Hennepin Avenue its distinctive character and scale. Located at the corner of Hennepin and Lagoon Avenue and adjacent to the Midtown Greenway bike trail and built on the foundations of the previous structure, the new library is positioned at a nexus of multi-modal transportation networks. The new stainless steel and glass clad building was designed as a simple figural mass consistent with the iconography of civic buildings. The form itself echoes the typical low-rise facades with one or two story masses hovering over extensive street level glass. Since the new library nearly fills the site, the façades are subtly sculpted to respond to the surrounding context. The upper portion of the east façade is folded to inflect toward the marquee of the iconic 1930’s Uptown Theater. The glass wall of the library is angled back from the street on the southeast corner to widen the sidewalk and acknowledge the constant flow of pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles. Light monitors positioned on the roof add an informal quality to the roofscape while animating the interior. The New Walker Library serves a demographically diverse, arts oriented neighborhood that is a vital gateway community. While the library’s fundamental program is still centered on a collection of books, its mission has broadened to serve the neighborhood as a meeting place, service center, and social hub for the community. On the west side of the building, parallel to the reading room, service and support spaces are contained in the lower volume oriented toward the service drive and parking entry. A raised access floor allows flexibility while elevating the program above the busy street corner. The soft acoustical environment on the interior heightens the sense of street motion as reflective materials on the façade glimmer and subtly change color in response to the passing movement of pedestrians, bikes, and cars.
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