Dallas Public Library Lochwood Branch

11221, Lochwood Boulevard, Dallas, TX, United States

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Dallas Public Library Lochwood Branch

11221, Lochwood Boulevard, Dallas, TX, United States

Firm

Type

Educational › Library

YEAR

2009

SIZE

10,000 sqft - 25,000 sqft

BUDGET

$1M - 5M

Bounded by a strip mall, apartment complex, and residential neighborhood (and including an existing YMCA gymnasium), the site for this new branch library presented significant contextual opportunities. The design centers on addressing each context, as well as the library’s programming needs, through directing and screening views and considering varied levels of scale.
The zinc-clad library hovers above a glass base, a contrast to the solid form of a black box theater (within the old YMCA, a resource-saving reuse strategy). Views are carefully considered to focus on the tree canopy and foreground landscape, avoiding less favorable context and providing privacy to neighboring homes. Open sightlines provide easy wayfinding for patrons and supervision for staff. The new library’s dynamic design elements and massing offer a distinct, refreshing contrast to the banal retail and residential buildings in the neighborhood.