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
| Nov 15, 2013
Greenbuild 2013 Report - BD+C Exclusive
The BD+C editorial team brings you this special report on the latest green building trends across nine key market sectors.
| Nov 13, 2013
Installed capacity of geothermal heat pumps to grow by 150% by 2020, says study
The worldwide installed capacity of GHP systems will reach 127.4 gigawatts-thermal over the next seven years, growth of nearly 150%, according to a recent report from Navigant Research.
| Oct 30, 2013
11 hot BIM/VDC topics for 2013
If you like to geek out on building information modeling and virtual design and construction, you should enjoy this overview of the top BIM/VDC topics.
| Oct 28, 2013
Urban growth doesn’t have to destroy nature—it can work with it
Our collective desire to live in cities has never been stronger. According to the World Health Organization, 60% of the world’s population will live in a city by 2030. As urban populations swell, what people demand from their cities is evolving.
| Oct 23, 2013
Gehry, Foster join Battersea Power Station redevelopment
Norman Foster and Frank Gehry have been selected to design a retail section within the £8 billion redevelopment of Battersea Power Station in London.
| Oct 18, 2013
Researchers discover tension-fusing properties of metal
When a group of MIT researchers recently discovered that stress can cause metal alloy to fuse rather than break apart, they assumed it must be a mistake. It wasn't. The surprising finding could lead to self-healing materials that repair early damage before it has a chance to spread.
| Oct 15, 2013
Cass Gilbert's landmark St. Louis Central Library gets a reboot
A $70 million project returns large sections of the building to their original Beaux Arts beauty, while modernizing the spaces to make them more inviting and useful for today’s patrons.
| Sep 19, 2013
What we can learn from the world’s greenest buildings
Renowned green building author, Jerry Yudelson, offers five valuable lessons for designers, contractors, and building owners, based on a study of 55 high-performance projects from around the world.
| Sep 19, 2013
6 emerging energy-management glazing technologies
Phase-change materials, electrochromic glass, and building-integrated PVs are among the breakthrough glazing technologies that are taking energy performance to a new level.
| Sep 19, 2013
Roof renovation tips: Making the choice between overlayment and tear-off
When embarking upon a roofing renovation project, one of the first decisions for the Building Team is whether to tear off and replace the existing roof or to overlay the new roof right on top of the old one. Roofing experts offer guidance on making this assessment.
