Ana Beha Architects (ABA) has transformed a space in the Newark Public Library to create a home for the Philip Roth Personal Library, a research and exhibition center capturing the author’s engagement with reading, writing, and Newark.
Philip Roth, who was born in Newark in 1933, bequeathed his personal collection of 7,000 books to the Newark Public Library in 2016. After his death in 2018, the library received his books as well as furniture and personal items. ABA was retained to design the new center in a building originally built in 1898 as a destination for researchers consulting Roth’s works and an exhibition space for sharing material related to the author’s work and life.
ABA partnered with Shawmut Design & Construction to upgrade the double-height room with all new mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection systems, as well as new climate control and LED lighting systems. The updates create a museum-quality research and exhibition space. Historic details, such as plaster molding, pilasters, wainscoting, and double doors were repaired and restored. New wood flooring was installed to return the room to its original luster.
A sliding glass door separates a reading room from the exhibition gallery, but allows for a visual connection between them. In the exhibition area, display cases share Roth’s personal memorabilia, letters, and books. The display cases are movable and allow the staff to quickly convert the space to an open gathering area for library events. The exhibition features the colors and typefaces of Roth’s signature book jackets. Solar film on windows and operable sun shades help protect collections and moderate the room’s climate.
“An early visit to Roth’s Connecticut home, an early American farmhouse, allowed us to experience its restored rooms and contemporary furnishings just as he left them,” said ABA Principal Thomas Hotaling, in a release. “The time we spent there made clear his appreciation for craft and his ability to beautifully balance heritage with modernism. We wanted to bring a corresponding balance to this renovation, respectfully restoring the space as Roth himself might have known it in his youth. It serves as a setting for a contemporary presentation of his work and life, highlighting his deep connection to Newark, the library, and design itself.”
The build team also included Legacy Engineers (MEP and fire protection), Silman (structural engineer), and C&G Partners (exhibit design).
Related Stories
| Jan 13, 2014
Custom exterior fabricator A. Zahner unveils free façade design software for architects
The web-based tool uses the company's factory floor like "a massive rapid prototype machine,” allowing designers to manipulate designs on the fly based on cost and other factors, according to CEO/President Bill Zahner.
| Jan 11, 2014
Getting to net-zero energy with brick masonry construction [AIA course]
When targeting net-zero energy performance, AEC professionals are advised to tackle energy demand first. This AIA course covers brick masonry's role in reducing energy consumption in buildings.
Smart Buildings | Jan 7, 2014
9 mega redevelopments poised to transform the urban landscape
Slowed by the recession—and often by protracted negotiations—some big redevelopment plans are now moving ahead. Here’s a sampling of nine major mixed-use projects throughout the country.
| Dec 13, 2013
Safe and sound: 10 solutions for fire and life safety
From a dual fire-CO detector to an aspiration-sensing fire alarm, BD+C editors present a roundup of new fire and life safety products and technologies.
| Dec 10, 2013
16 great solutions for architects, engineers, and contractors
From a crowd-funded smart shovel to a why-didn’t-someone-do-this-sooner scheme for managing traffic in public restrooms, these ideas are noteworthy for creative problem-solving. Here are some of the most intriguing innovations the BD+C community has brought to our attention this year.
| Dec 9, 2013
Tips for designing higher education's newest building type: the learning commons
In this era of scaled-down budgets, maximized efficiencies, new learning methods and social media’s domination of face time, college and university campuses are gravitating toward a new space type: the learning commons.
| Nov 27, 2013
Wonder walls: 13 choices for the building envelope
BD+C editors present a roundup of the latest technologies and applications in exterior wall systems, from a tapered metal wall installation in Oklahoma to a textured precast concrete solution in North Carolina.
| Nov 26, 2013
Construction costs rise for 22nd straight month in November
Construction costs in North America rose for the 22nd consecutive month in November as labor costs continued to increase, amid growing industry concern over the tight availability of skilled workers.
| Nov 25, 2013
Building Teams need to help owners avoid 'operational stray'
"Operational stray" occurs when a building’s MEP systems don’t work the way they should. Even the most well-designed and constructed building can stray from perfection—and that can cost the owner a ton in unnecessary utility costs. But help is on the way.
| Nov 19, 2013
Top 10 green building products for 2014
Assa Abloy's power-over-ethernet access-control locks and Schüco's retrofit façade system are among the products to make BuildingGreen Inc.'s annual Top-10 Green Building Products list.
