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
| Aug 11, 2010
Harvard Public Library
Harvard, Mass.
Five years ago, the town of Harvard, Mass., which lies about 30 miles west of Boston, faced two problems. First, its iconic public schoolhouse, known as Old Bromfield, which was built in 1877, had become outdated. So, too, had its public library, which had no room to grow on its site.
| Aug 11, 2010
Gilbane, Whiting-Turner among nation's largest university contractors, according to BD+C's Giants 300 report
A ranking of the Top 50 University Contractors based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit /giants
| Aug 11, 2010
AASHE releases annual review of sustainability in higher education
The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) has announced the release of AASHE Digest 2008, which documents the continued rapid growth of campus sustainability in the U.S. and Canada. The 356-page report, available as a free download on the AASHE website, includes over 1,350 stories that appeared in the weekly AASHE Bulletin last year.
| Aug 11, 2010
Burt Hill, HOK top BD+C's ranking of the nation's 100 largest university design firms
A ranking of the Top 100 University Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Jacobs, HDR top BD+C's ranking of the nation's 100 largest institutional building design firms
A ranking of the Top 100 Institutional Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
College uses renewable materials in new library
A 93,000-sf Library and Academic Resource Center will replace Los Angeles Valley College's 1960s-vintage library. Pfeiffer Partners Architects designed the building to be consistent with the college's master plan, with its learning clusters and arcade circulation system. To obtain LEED certification, the center will use recycled and renewable materials, such as bamboo.
| Aug 11, 2010
Northeast Lakeview College opens in Texas, to serve 15,000 students
After four years of construction, Northeast Lakeview College, the newest addition to Alamo Colleges, is complete. Designed by Overland Partners Architects in collaboration with Ford Powell & Carson, the nine-building, 285-acre campus in Universal City, near San Antonio, will serve up to 15,000 students.
