This new civic building is part of a growing urban ensemble involving the new urban park and new retail and office buildings adjacent to the site. All in an effort to reinforce a "walkable town center" district for the Community.
The Pavilion, the central form-giver to the building, is a series of high bay rooms that control daylighting through carefully placed viewing windows and a grand clerestory. When viewed from across the pond, the Pavilion gives the building its civic presence as it faces West Chester's new town center.
Environmental design and sustainability efforts of the facility focus on capturing and monitoring daylight in a sophisticated daylighting scheme, a storm water collection system, and a roofing membrane that reduces heat island effect all in an effort to reduce the carbon footprint of the facility and move towards responsible sustainable design.
The library is equipped with wireless technology; over 190,000 periodicals, books, and other resource materials, a community auditorium, a cafe and reading areas overlooking the park, media resources and equipment, wi-fi, gathering spaces, community areas, children and teen study rooms with ample seating, and specialized rooms for group endeavors, plus an emphasis on retail-like display shelving and increased use of technologies aimed to be user friendly.
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