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
Libraries | Aug 17, 2017
San Diego’s newest library branch will be family focused
The long-delayed project reflects community design input.
Libraries | May 31, 2017
A year after its facelift, Boston’s Public Library is relevant again
Visitors are flocking to its brighter, connected halls, which now include retail and digital components.
Libraries | May 16, 2017
A New York-area community college adds new zest to its library
Wired seating and group work areas abound.
Cultural Facilities | May 4, 2017
Obama Foundation reveals first look at the Obama Presidential Center
The design comprises three buildings set in the public space of Jackson Park on Chicago’s South Side.
Libraries | Apr 7, 2017
Eight recipients selected for the 2017 AIA/ALA Library Building Awards
Columbus Metropolitan Library, National Library of Latvia, and Varina Area Library were all honored by the AIA and ALA.
Libraries | Mar 16, 2017
Libraries: Design for evolution
Libraries fulfill a new vision—community kitchens for experimentation with new ideas, problem solving and entrepreneurship, and creating experiences that turn consumers into producers, passions into careers, and voices into actions.
Libraries | Feb 22, 2017
Transparency a key in Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library renovation
Great Halls, an auditorium, a fabrication lab, and a roof garden will all be added to the Ludwig Mies van der Rohe building.
Libraries | Jan 9, 2017
After winning international competition, Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects will design the new Shanghai Library
The 110,000-sm library will be built in Pudong District and sit next to Century Park, Shanghai’s largest park.
Libraries | Dec 14, 2016
The future of libraries
The arrival of programs that support student and faculty success such as math emporiums, writing centers, academic enrichment programs, and excellence-in-teaching centers within the library, heralds the emergence of the third generation of academic library design.
Libraries | Jul 1, 2016
Sasaki library survey gauges librarian happiness
Libraries are changing from dull book boxes into vibrant hubs for academic institutions. Sasaki surveyed more than 400 librarians to learn how library staffs interact with and respond to their workspaces.
