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Washington University in St. Louis, John M. Olin Library
Washington University in St. Louis, John M. Olin Library
St. Louis, MO, United States
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Other Projects by Annum Architects (formerly Ann Beha Architects)
Washington University in St. Louis, John M. Olin Library
St. Louis, MO, United States
Type
STATUS
Built
YEAR
2018
SIZE
25,000 sqft - 100,000 sqft
Opened in 1962, Olin Library is a crossroads, where the university community connects daily through study, research, collaboration, and chance encounter. With thousands of people passing through daily, the library is one of the most visited buildings on campus. Seeking to enhance the quality of campus life for students and reimagine how the contributes to the larger university community, Washington University in St. Louis hired ABA to plan and design a significant renovation and expansion based on ABA’s 2013 master plan.
In spring 2018, the transformative project was completed, balancing the building’s Modernist heritage with the changing dynamic emblematic of academic libraries today. The 27,000-square-foot renovation and 19,000-square-foot expansion were accomplished without increasing the building’s footprint by excavating for two new floors under the existing building. Despite this major structural intervention, the library remained open throughout the 18-month phased construction.
A key design move was the opening of a north entrance, creating additional possibilities for circulation. A new interior “street” connects the new north door to the original south entrance, bringing pedestrian traffic through the middle of the library. Capitalizing on this flow, ABA placed a 75-foot-long, climate-controlled gallery along the corridor, creating new space for changing exhibitions that highlight the library’s unique collections.
Other new library initiatives found space in the expansion: storage for more than 50% of special collections, which were previously held off campus; the Exploration Center, dedicated to global research and travel; and instructional spaces, which support cross-disciplinary programming and research, all reside here. A new glass structure, inserted within the existing atrium, links four floors with exhibition, study, and expanded café space.
In spring 2018, the transformative project was completed, balancing the building’s Modernist heritage with the changing dynamic emblematic of academic libraries today. The 27,000-square-foot renovation and 19,000-square-foot expansion were accomplished without increasing the building’s footprint by excavating for two new floors under the existing building. Despite this major structural intervention, the library remained open throughout the 18-month phased construction.
A key design move was the opening of a north entrance, creating additional possibilities for circulation. A new interior “street” connects the new north door to the original south entrance, bringing pedestrian traffic through the middle of the library. Capitalizing on this flow, ABA placed a 75-foot-long, climate-controlled gallery along the corridor, creating new space for changing exhibitions that highlight the library’s unique collections.
Other new library initiatives found space in the expansion: storage for more than 50% of special collections, which were previously held off campus; the Exploration Center, dedicated to global research and travel; and instructional spaces, which support cross-disciplinary programming and research, all reside here. A new glass structure, inserted within the existing atrium, links four floors with exhibition, study, and expanded café space.
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