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Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, East Liberty Branch
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, East Liberty Branch
South Whitfield Street, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
Project Featured on Jun 16, 2014
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Featured products in this project 1
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, East Liberty Branch
South Whitfield Street, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
Project Featured on Jun 16, 2014
Firm
Type
YEAR
2010
SIZE
25,000 sqft - 100,000 sqft
BUDGET
$5M - 10M
Located
on an urban block in Pittsburgh, the Carnegie
Library of Pittsburgh, East Liberty neighborhood library serves one of the most
economically and racially diverse populations in Pittsburgh.
EDGE studio worked with the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (CLP) to
fully renovate the existing 33,000 sf, 1967 facility and provide a 9,000 sf
addition which facilitates a complete reorganization of library services. With adult, teen and children’s department collections
and services, 4 meeting rooms, back of house offices and workrooms, and a high
density storage space for 150,000 historic volumes known as the ‘Heritage
Collection,’ along with growth space for central library operations, the facility
was dramatically reshaped to improve the library’s ability to provide
services. The actual construction cost
of $5.1 million was well below the $5.8 million budget and the library opened
to the public in August 2010 as planned.
The
existing building was completely transformed by removing its uninsulated,
single glazed envelope and expanding the structure to enlarge the facility and
to give shape to a building which would have a greater visual presence when
approached from all nearby streets. Taking
formal cues from the adjacent, grandly scaled neo-gothic church by Ralph Adams
Cram, the new library building is wrapped in a folded rainscreen skin
articulated to reveal depth in shadow and light. At the upper floors, the building extends
beyond the property lines to stretch into the view corridors of major streets,
making it more visible to first time visitors and screening. Two main entrances, located opposite each
other with the Customer Service (circulation) desk located between them welcome
visitors who arrive by bus on one side, and those who park their car in the
public lot, at the other side. The new
exterior wall assembly helps to provide for a highly sustainable building with
a thermally superior envelope. Efficient
mechanical systems, along with low energy use lighting fixtures and lamps, and low
water use plumbing systems help keep operating costs low.
At the
interior, the space was reorganized to locate all of the main library services,
including adult, teen and children’s department services on a single floor with
maximum staff sight lines to minimize staffing requirements. Accessibility, both physical and visual, is
important to the visitor experience.
That the library is welcoming to its diverse customer base, and that all
visitors can orient themselves to the space immediately upon entry ensures that
services are readily perceived.
Expansive windows which let natural light in and views out, with glare
controlled by second floor overhangs determined by applying solar modeling to
the building, provide the public spaces with comfortable, light infused spaces
ideal for reading and computer use. An
atrium connects the first floor to the second floor. At the second floor, four meeting rooms, two
which can be combined by way of a folding acoustic partition into one large room,
were provided along with open office space for central library operations. The lower level, which had been utilized for
miscellaneous storage, was renovated and mechanical systems provided to accommodate
high density storage of historic material.
on an urban block in Pittsburgh, the Carnegie
Library of Pittsburgh, East Liberty neighborhood library serves one of the most
economically and racially diverse populations in Pittsburgh.
EDGE studio worked with the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (CLP) to
fully renovate the existing 33,000 sf, 1967 facility and provide a 9,000 sf
addition which facilitates a complete reorganization of library services. With adult, teen and children’s department collections
and services, 4 meeting rooms, back of house offices and workrooms, and a high
density storage space for 150,000 historic volumes known as the ‘Heritage
Collection,’ along with growth space for central library operations, the facility
was dramatically reshaped to improve the library’s ability to provide
services. The actual construction cost
of $5.1 million was well below the $5.8 million budget and the library opened
to the public in August 2010 as planned.
The
existing building was completely transformed by removing its uninsulated,
single glazed envelope and expanding the structure to enlarge the facility and
to give shape to a building which would have a greater visual presence when
approached from all nearby streets. Taking
formal cues from the adjacent, grandly scaled neo-gothic church by Ralph Adams
Cram, the new library building is wrapped in a folded rainscreen skin
articulated to reveal depth in shadow and light. At the upper floors, the building extends
beyond the property lines to stretch into the view corridors of major streets,
making it more visible to first time visitors and screening. Two main entrances, located opposite each
other with the Customer Service (circulation) desk located between them welcome
visitors who arrive by bus on one side, and those who park their car in the
public lot, at the other side. The new
exterior wall assembly helps to provide for a highly sustainable building with
a thermally superior envelope. Efficient
mechanical systems, along with low energy use lighting fixtures and lamps, and low
water use plumbing systems help keep operating costs low.
At the
interior, the space was reorganized to locate all of the main library services,
including adult, teen and children’s department services on a single floor with
maximum staff sight lines to minimize staffing requirements. Accessibility, both physical and visual, is
important to the visitor experience.
That the library is welcoming to its diverse customer base, and that all
visitors can orient themselves to the space immediately upon entry ensures that
services are readily perceived.
Expansive windows which let natural light in and views out, with glare
controlled by second floor overhangs determined by applying solar modeling to
the building, provide the public spaces with comfortable, light infused spaces
ideal for reading and computer use. An
atrium connects the first floor to the second floor. At the second floor, four meeting rooms, two
which can be combined by way of a folding acoustic partition into one large room,
were provided along with open office space for central library operations. The lower level, which had been utilized for
miscellaneous storage, was renovated and mechanical systems provided to accommodate
high density storage of historic material.
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