DESIGN TREND: What’s Old is New Again

The successful renovation of a historic structure for contemporary use is a vivid example of how libraries respond to rapidly evolving community conditions. This year, a variety of approaches create modern facilities that honor history. The Faneuil Branch, Boston Public Library, retains a handsome preserved Art Deco exterior with large windows providing a view into the modern interior. With a focus on sustainability, this library is predicted to reduce energy use by 35 percent, proving that incorporating sustainable technology in a historic structure has lasting impacts.

Contextual additions can seamlessly expand size while honoring the original structure’s design intent. The Hotchkiss Library of Sharon, CT, is on the Sharon Center Historic District’s National Register of Historic Places, so care was taken in the existing structure’s renovation. A “light touch” on the historic wood elements ensured the patina of age was maintained, creating a warm, rich, glow. The Fort Branch–Johnson Township Public Library, IN, created an addition that replicated the original 1917 structure for a seamless integration with the town’s Main Street red brick buildings and historic homes.

Creative adaptive reuse does triple duty: It is sustainable, practical, and attractive. The Clinton Branch, Audubon Regional Library, LA, beautifully incorporates the preserved stained glass, original pendant lighting, and exposed wood trusses of this former Presbyterian Church, invoking a reverence for its previous role in the community. Wadena City Library, MN, shows off the dynamic reuse of a 1950s bank building. Unique features, including terrazzo flooring, millwork wall panels, floor-to-ceiling glass partitions, and walk-in safes, were adapted into the renovation, providing a unique connection to the building’s history.

The Center for Brooklyn History at Brooklyn Public Library creates a community and cultural hub in a building once only accessible to scholars. This innovative partnership with the Brooklyn Historical Society provided the opportunity to design a welcoming, inviting, and dynamic cultural center designed for the public to explore exhibits, work, study, and gather for community events.

A true showcase example, the University of South Carolina’s South Caroliniana Library is a museum-quality restoration of the oldest freestanding academic library in the country, now modernized for contemporary functions.

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Faneuil Branch, Boston Public Library; Oudens Ello Architecture, LLC, architect; Aram Boghosian, photo.

Hotchkiss Library of Sharon, CT; Quisenberry Arcari Malik LLC - QA+M Architecture, architects; © 2023 Red Skies Photography, photos.

Center for Brooklyn History, Brooklyn Public Library, NY; Marble Fairbanks Architects, architect; Alexander Severin, photo.

South Caroliniana Library, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC; Liollio Architecture, architect; © Keith Isaacs, photo.

Fort Branch-Johnson Township Public Library, IN; Universal Design Associates, architect; Universal Design Associates, Inc., photo.

Wadena City Library, MN; BKV Group, architect; © Jasper Lazor Photography, photos.

Clinton Branch, Audobon Regional Library, LA; Holly & Smith Architects, architect; Leamenia "Menia" Veal, photo.

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