Some may view the conversion of a historic Washington, D.C. library into an Apple store as a sign of the end of times; exchanging knowledge for shiny new Apple products. But in reality, it isn’t quite that bad.
The Carnegie Library, originally funded by Andrew Carnegie and first opened in 1903, was Washington, D.C.’s first public library (and the city’s first desegregated public building) and remained in service until 1970. Soon after, the Beaux-Arts style building fell into a period of neglect until Foster + Partners, Beyer Blinder Belle, and Apple decided to restore the building to its previous luster.
The two companies worked with conservation experts to preserve the historic facades, return the interior spaces to their original footprints, and restore distinctive early 20th century detailing. An urban route through the building was created with entrances on both sides of the north-south axis. The original, southern entrance to the building is fronted by a grand public plaza that will host public concerts and events.
See Also: 18 Carbon fiber wings grace Foster + Partners-designed Apple Dubai Mall terrace
Inside, the building’s heart has been transformed into a double-height space that is capped with a new skylight to bring light deep into the interior spaces. This is where the Forum forms the creative hub of the building; a place where experts from various fields will host free talks, performances, and workshops for the public, viewable from two levels.
A grand staircase leads up to the DC History Center on the second floor, and down to the Carnegie Gallery, which displays historic photographs and documents about the origins and history of the building, in the basement. The upper levels of the building will continue to be occupied by the Historical Society of Washington, D.C.
The palette of materials used was chosen to suit the historic surroundings and was inspired by the unique early 20th century detailing of the building. “The materiality and detailing of the historic facades and interior spaces have been carefully preserved, working closely with the Nation Trust for Historic Preservation and other conservation experts,” said Stefan Behling, head of Studio, Foster + Partners, in a release.
Apple Carnegie Library opened on Saturday, May 11. For the following six weeks, a StoryMaker festival will bring 40 artists, poets, activists, musicians, photographers, filmmakers, lawmakers, and community builders to tell their stories inside the renovated building.
Related Stories
AEC Innovators | Feb 28, 2023
Meet the 'urban miner' who is rethinking how we deconstruct and reuse buildings
New Horizon Urban Mining, a demolition firm in the Netherlands, has hitched its business model to construction materials recycling. It's plan: deconstruct buildings and infrastructure and sell the building products for reuse in new construction. New Horizon and its Founder Michel Baars have been named 2023 AEC Innovators by Building Design+Construction editors.
Reconstruction & Renovation | Feb 16, 2023
Insights from over 300 potential office-to-residential conversions
Research from Gensler finds that, surprisingly, the features that result in an unpleasant office often make for a superlative multifamily product.
Giants 400 | Feb 6, 2023
2022 Reconstruction Sector Giants: Top architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S. building reconstruction and renovation sector
Gensler, Stantec, IPS, Alfa Tech, STO Building Group, and Turner Construction top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest reconstruction sector architecture, engineering, and construction firms, as reported in the 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Multifamily Housing | Jan 23, 2023
Long Beach, Calif., office tower converted to market rate multifamily housing
A project to convert an underperforming mid-century office tower in Long Beach, Calif., created badly needed market rate housing with a significantly lowered carbon footprint. The adaptive reuse project, composed of 203,177 sf including parking, created 106 apartment units out of a Class B office building that had been vacant for about 10 years.
Adaptive Reuse | Jan 12, 2023
Invest in existing buildings for your university
According to Nick Sillies of GBBN, students are increasingly asking: "How sustainable is your institution?" Reusing existing buildings may help answer that.
Adaptive Reuse | Dec 21, 2022
University of Pittsburgh reinvents century-old Model-T building as a life sciences research facility
After opening earlier this year, The Assembly recently achieved LEED Gold certification, aligning with the school’s and community’s larger sustainability efforts.
Coatings | Dec 20, 2022
The Pier Condominiums — What's old is new again!
When word was out that the condominium association was planning to carry out a refresh of the Pier Condominiums on Fort Norfolk, Hanbury jumped at the chance to remake what had become a tired, faded project.
Sponsored | Multifamily Housing | Dec 14, 2022
Urban housing revival: 3 creative multifamily housing renovations
This continuing education course from Bruner/Cott & Associates highlights three compelling projects that involve reimagining unlikely buildings for compelling multifamily housing developments.
Mixed-Use | Dec 6, 2022
Houston developer plans to convert Kevin Roche-designed ConocoPhillips HQ to mixed-use destination
Houston-based Midway, a real estate investment, development, and management firm, plans to redevelop the former ConocoPhillips corporate headquarters site into a mixed-use destination called Watermark District at Woodcreek.
Multifamily Housing | Nov 29, 2022
Number of office-to-apartment conversion projects has jumped since start of pandemic
As remote work rose and demand for office space declined since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, developers have found converting some offices to residential use to be an attractive option. Apartment conversions rose 25% in the two years since the start of the pandemic, with 28,000 new units converted from other property types, according to a report from RentCafe.