Originally built in 1933, Baltimore’s Enoch Pratt Free Library/State Library Resource Center (EPFL) has recently undergone a $115 million renovation project. The project’s goals were to prioritize digital fluency, collaboration, learning, and creation.
The 290,000-sf building’s Central Hall was fitted with sound and video projection equipment to transform the space into a “Town Hall.” New spaces such as the Teen Wing, the Creative Arts Center, and the Job and Career Center were adapted within existing areas with a contemporary design language that complements the original interior. New conference rooms, staff offices, and workstations were also created.
Central Hall.
Throughout the building’s interior historic materials and finishes such as plaster, millwork, and terrazzo were restored and decorative metal elements and paintings were brought back to their original state. Fluorescent lighting installed in the 1950s was replaced with energy-efficient lighting but the historic light fixtures in public areas were restored or, in some cases, replicated. MEP and life-safety systems were also replaced and installed in discreet ways that were minimally disruptive to the building.
See Also: St. Louis Community College Center for Nursing and Health Sciences opens to students
The building’s exterior also underwent renovations; the leaking roof was replaced, steel-framed windows were restored, and the limestone walls were cleaned and repointed. Ayers Saint Gross worked with Beyer Blinder Belle on the project.
Related Stories
| Sep 16, 2013
Study analyzes effectiveness of reflective ceilings
Engineers at Brinjac quantify the illuminance and energy consumption levels achieved by increasing the ceiling’s light reflectance.
| Sep 11, 2013
BUILDINGChicago eShow Daily – Day 3 coverage
Day 3 coverage of the BUILDINGChicago/Greening the Heartland conference and expo, taking place this week at the Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza.
| Sep 10, 2013
BUILDINGChicago eShow Daily – Day 2 coverage
The BD+C editorial team brings you this real-time coverage of day 2 of the BUILDINGChicago/Greening the Heartland conference and expo taking place this week at the Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza.
| Aug 26, 2013
What you missed last week: Architecture billings up again; record year for hotel renovations; nation's most expensive real estate markets
BD+C's roundup of the top construction market news for the week of August 18 includes the latest architecture billings index from AIA and a BOMA study on the nation's most and least expensive commercial real estate markets.
| Aug 22, 2013
Energy-efficient glazing technology [AIA Course]
This course discuses the latest technological advances in glazing, which make possible ever more efficient enclosures with ever greater glazed area.
| Aug 14, 2013
Green Building Report [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Building Design+Construction's rankings of the nation's largest green design and construction firms.
| Jul 29, 2013
2013 Giants 300 Report
The editors of Building Design+Construction magazine present the findings of the annual Giants 300 Report, which ranks the leading firms in the AEC industry.
| Jul 22, 2013
Cultural Facility Report [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Building Design+Construction's rankings of design and construction firms with the most revenue from cultural facility projects, as reported in the 2013 Giants 300 Report.
| Jul 19, 2013
Renovation, adaptive reuse stay strong, providing fertile ground for growth [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Increasingly, owners recognize that existing buildings represent a considerable resource in embodied energy, which can often be leveraged for lower front-end costs and a faster turnaround than new construction.
| Jul 18, 2013
GSA regains stature under Tangherlini, who looks to trim its holdings, cut energy costs [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Over the past 15 months, Acting GSA Administrator Dan Tangherlini has done a creditable job of restoring the agency’s standing with Congress and the public.
