As part of a $1.2 billion capital improvement program for Temple University’s Main Campus, the school commissioned Stantec and Snøhetta to design a new library to replace the existing 1960s facility.
The resulting 220,000-sf Charles Library is a technology rich, dynamic environment that anticipates over five million annual visitors. The library’s exterior is highlighted by a solid base clad in split-faced granite and large wooden arched entrances cut into the stone volume. Glass is included at all three entrances to allow natural light into the building and create a sense of transparency.
Once inside the building, visitors are greeted by a three-story atrium that offers views of every floor and corner of the building. Light fills the space from an oculus on the top floor and a steel main staircase is located near the information desk. This desk acts as the first interface between library staff and students and facilitates their access to the library collection.
See Also: UMass Amherst’s Worcester Commons to be built on an existing parking lot
The collection includes 13,800 new title volumes near the main entry, 260,000 volumes in browsable stacks, 31,000 special collection volumes in secure high-density storage, and 1.8 million volumes located within an automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) known as BookBot. The BookBot space is 57 feet tall, spanning three floors, and allows holdings previously housed in off-site deep storage to be relocated on-site. Thanks to BookBot, the space required for book storage is drastically reduced, enabling space for collaboration, academic resources, and individual study space, and access to the library’s collection is expanded.
The library’s second and third floors are anchored by the Student Success Center, which offers writing and tutoring support; the Loretta C. Duckworth Scholars studio, which provides access to digital fabrication and immersive technologies; and Temple University Press. On the fourth floor are two expansive reading rooms, dedicated to graduate, faculty, and undergraduate study.
The fourth floor is glazed on all four sides providing views of a 47,300-sf green roof that covers over 70% of the building’s roof surface. The roof is integrated into the building’s stormwater management system, which is designed to capture rainwater from the campus and manage all rainwater runoff. Forty meeting rooms and study spaces are dispersed throughout the building and are available for reservation. Hunt Engineering was the civil engineer and LERA was the Structural Engineer for the project. Daniel J. Keating was the contractor.
Related Stories
Libraries | Sep 25, 2020
Major renovation to Providence’s downtown library is completed
The $29 million project adds light and collaborative space to a 67-year-old wing.
Libraries | Sep 22, 2020
Snøhetta wins design for the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library
The project is located in Medora, N.D.
Libraries | Sep 18, 2020
Four projects receive 2020 AIA/ALA Library Building Award
2020 AIA/ALA Library Building Award recipients must demonstrate design achievement, including a sense of place, purpose, ecology, environmental sustainability, and of history.
Libraries | Sep 15, 2020
Campus libraries are leaping into the future
The world of information and student populations are constantly evolving. Academic libraries can lead the way as campuses strive to stay ahead.
Giants 400 | Aug 28, 2020
2020 Giants 400 Report: Ranking the nation's largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms
The 2020 Giants 400 Report features more than 130 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.
Libraries | May 12, 2020
Designing resilient libraries for a post-covid world
As architects, it has been especially interesting to see how public libraries have deployed their physical resources and spaces to continue serving their communities despite these closures.
Libraries | Feb 4, 2020
Design of the Ottawa Public Library and Library and Archives unveiled
Diamond Schmitt Architects is designing the project.
Libraries | Jan 23, 2020
Information or community center: The next generation of libraries must be both
Are libraries still relevant in a digital world?
Libraries | Nov 18, 2019
Snøhetta designs Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s new Main Library
The library is located at the center of the rapidly changing North Tryon corridor.
Giants 400 | Oct 3, 2019
2019 Cultural Facility Giants Report: New libraries are all about community
The future of libraries is less about being quiet and more about hands-on learning and face-to-face interactions. This and more cultural sector trends from BD+C's 2019 Giants 300 Report.