Fourteen months ago, the city of South Bend, Ind., unveiled its newly renovated Main Library that local officials were hopeful would expand economic activity and provide the community with more flexible meeting spaces.
A team that included Robert A.M. Stern Architects (RAMSA) had updated 85,000 sf of the existing 116,500-sf library, and added a new 40,000-sf Community Learning Center. This $40 million project, which occupies a 3.4-acre block, was a partnership between St. Joseph County, the city, and the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County.
The library, which before its renovation had been drawing more than 1,000 daily visitors, has been a magnetic force for downtown South Bend since at least the 1950s. That attraction was predicted to strengthen now that the library is connected to the standalone Community Learning Center (built on what had been a vacant lot) via a new outdoor courtyard. The Community Learning Center includes offices, classrooms, study spaces, a coffee shop, computer lab, and tech center with a maker space with recording studios, camera equipment, and 3D printing services.
“In the short time that the library has been back open to the public, it’s been amazing to witness firsthand how much the community has embraced this building and begun to make it their own,” said Trish Coleman, former Chief Public Service Officer at the St. Joseph County Public Library.
A city turning the corner
The library’s renovation included new windows combined with interior glass partitions. RAMSA collaborated with Boss design to create a children’s play area for learning and exploration. A teenage-focused exhibition space hosts rotating interactive displays.
The Building Team on this project included Arkos Design (AOR), Ziolkowski Construction (GC), Bulley & Andrews (CM), Circle Design Group (MEP and Civil engineering), Fink Roberts Petri (SE), Cerami & Associates (Security and Acoustics), Fisher Moranitz Stone (Lighting), Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (Envelope), and Custom Sound Designs (A/V).
The library’s renovation and expansion coincide with a decade-long revitalization of South Bend, home to Notre Dame University, which has recently seen growth in its population to an estimated 104,000. A planned removal of four cloverleafs and access ramps is prelude to an envisioned development of a 130-acre mixed-use district along the St. Joseph River that has already emerged as a culinary and event area.
Related Stories
| May 9, 2012
Shepley Bulfinch given IIDA Design award for Woodruff Library?
The design challenges included creating an entry sequence to orient patrons and highlight services; establishing a sense of identity visible from the exterior; and providing a flexible extended-hours access for part of the learning commons.
| Apr 17, 2012
FMI report examines federal construction trends
Given the rapid transformations occurring in the federal construction sector, FMI examines the key forces accelerating these changes, as well as their effect on the industry.
| Apr 4, 2012
Bald joins the Harmon glazing team
Bald has 13 years of experience in the glazing industry, coming to Harmon from Trainor where he was the regional manager of the Mid-Atlantic region.
| Mar 22, 2012
Moline Public Library uses copper as an exterior building material
Architects incorporate decorative copper panels to create the look of a heavy plate copper shingle.
| Dec 2, 2011
What are you waiting for? BD+C's 2012 40 Under 40 nominations are due Friday, Jan. 20
Nominate a colleague, peer, or even yourself. Applications available here.
| Oct 24, 2011
BBS Architects & Engineers receives 2011 Sustainable Design Award from AIA Long Island Chapter
AIA LI also recognized BBS with the 2011 ARCHI Award Commendation for the St. Charles Resurrection Cemetery St. Charles Resurrection Cemetery Welcoming and Information Center in Farmingdale, NY.
| Feb 23, 2011
The library is dead, long live the library
The Society for College and University Planning asked its members to voice their thoughts on the possible death of academic libraries. And many did. The good news? It's not all bad news. A summary of their members' comments appears on the SCUP blog.
| Feb 11, 2011
Former Richardson Romanesque hotel now houses books, not beds
The Piqua (Ohio) Public Library was once a late 19th-century hotel that sat vacant and deteriorating for years before a $12.3 million adaptive reuse project revitalized the 1891 building. The design team of PSA-Dewberry, MKC Associates, and historic preservation specialist Jeff Wray Associates collaborated on the restoration of the 80,000-sf Richardson Romanesque building, once known as the Fort Piqua Hotel. The team restored a mezzanine above the lobby and repaired historic windows, skylight, massive fireplace, and other historic details. The basement, with its low ceiling and stacked stone walls, was turned into a castle-like children’s center. The Piqua Historical Museum is also located within the building.
| Jan 21, 2011
Library planned for modern media enthusiasts
The England Run Library, a new 30,000-sf glass, brick, and stone building, will soon house more than 100,000 books and DVDs. The Lukmire Partnership, Arlington, Va., designed the Stafford County, Va., library, the firm’s fourth for the Central Rappahannock Library System, to combine modern library-browsing trends with traditional library services.
| Nov 23, 2010
The George W. Bush Presidential Center, which will house the former president’s library
The George W. Bush Presidential Center, which will house the former president’s library and museum, plus the Bush Institute, is aiming for LEED Platinum. The 226,565-sf center, located at Southern Methodist University, in Dallas, was designed by architect Robert A.M. Stern and landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh.