This urban branch library, situated in a marginal neighborhood between downtown Baltimore and the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine campus, provides a twofold benefit. It enhances its surroundings as an open and inviting place as a beacon to its immediate community and provides an efficient example of a thoroughly modern library for a citywide system that has not built a new branch library in over thirty years. The 15,000 GSF program includes a 25’ high reading room, young adult, children’s and study areas, stacks, lobby, computer classroom, two public meeting rooms, staff offices and support spaces.