DESIGN TREND: Playfulness

As libraries expand into community hubs serving multiple purposes, they have introduced playfulness into their designs to encourage exploration, discovery, and above all, wonder. The Multnomah County Operations Center, OR, and the McCollough Library, Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library, IN, highlight new local artworks throughout their buildings. The interplay between art and architecture elevates the experience of the space and inspires new perspectives—a trip upstairs or a rest in a niche are framed by vibrant artworks. To engage their youngest users, libraries such as the Philip & Jerry Miller Library, Douglas County Libraries, CO, have constructed dedicated play spaces. The Ranch is based on a working ranch and offers not only a sense of place and imagination within the library for children, but a connection to the broader heritage of Douglas County.

Design elements of varying scales can bring unexpected whimsy. The Marlborough Library, MA, features large blue and white circular discs with cove lighting suspended from the ceiling. Concentric arcs inscribed on the clustered discs express a dynamic energy that enlivens the space. Large trapezoidal niches within the walls of the North Oak Branch, Mid-Continent Public Library, Kansas City, MO, hold a variety of seating and reading spaces, including an oversized sculptural snail with a circular bench for families to curl up in together. Oregon Public Library, WI, also punctuates its wall with different size openings to crawl through, sit in, or peek through to the other side. These playful gestures invite exploration.

On a monumental scale, the open atrium staircase of the Downtown Library of Cincinnati–Hamilton County Public Library, OH, vertically links all five above-ground stories. Custom colored glass art rails reflect the upward movement of the stairs and create a stunning backdrop for the large community gathering space. The rainbow patterns are visually appealing on their own, but hold a deeper meaning: glass pieces document the more than 1,600 important audio recordings in the library’s collection that honor the city’s musical heritage.

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Oregon Public Library, WI; OPN Architects, architect; Alex Michl, OPN Architects, photo.

Multnomah County Library Operations Center, OR; Hennebery Eddy Architects, architect; Bob Kerns, photo; David Rice, art.

McCollough Library, Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library, IL; MKM architecture + design, architect; @Adin Parks Photography, photo.

North Oak Branch, Mid-Continent Public Library, Kansas City, MO; Sapp Design Associates and Helix Architecture + Design, architects; Michael Robinson Photography, photo.

Downtown Main Library, Cincinnati-Hamilton County Public Library, OH; Group 4 Architecture, Research + Planning and Champlin Architecture, architects; Wes Battoclette, photo.

Marlborough Public Library, MA; LLB Architects, architect; Warren Jagger, photo.

Philip and Jerry Miller Library, Douglas County Libraries, CO; OPN Architects, architect; Hutch Tibbetts, DCL, photo.

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