In the century since Cass Gilbert designed the flagship Central Library for the St. Louis Public Library, information science and building technology have been radically transformed. A $70 million project led by Cannon Design returned large sections of the building to their original Beaux Arts beauty, while modernizing other zones to make the library more inviting and useful for today’s patrons.
Important historic spaces, such as the central Grand Hall, have been revived, including millwork, ornamental plaster, polychrome decoration, bronze work, and marble and cork flooring. Ceiling paintings were restored, and period light fixtures were refurbished or replicated.
The Building Team replaced the outdated MEP and fire protection systems, exploiting original chases concealed within thick masonry walls. Floors in multiple areas were adapted for modern electrical and data infrastructure. The monumental front steps—565 pieces of granite in the form of slabs, balusters, railings, and wall facings—were labeled, removed, catalogued, stored, reassembled, and restored.
ST. LOUIS PUBLIC LIBRARY, CENTRAL LIBRARY
St. Louis, Mo.Building TeamSubmitting firm: Cannon Design (architect)Owner: St. Louis Public LibraryOwner’s representative: CLR ConsultantsSE/CE, exterior restoration: David mason & AssociatesMEP/FP engineer: William Tao & AssociatesHistoric preservation: Frens & Frens EnvironmentalGraphics/signage: Kuhlmann LeavittConstruction manager: BSI ConstructorsGeneral InformationSize: 185,000 sfConstruction cost: $70 millionConstruction time: January 2010 to November 2012Delivery method: Design-build
The North Wing, once a repository for closed stacks, witnessed a dramatic change.
The original steel skeleton was replaced by a four-story atrium and a series of “floating” platforms. Visible through interior glazing, these levels hold compact-density shelving. A new entry canopy invites patrons to this side of the building, turning a welcoming (and less formal) face to the urban neighborhood.
Several administrative areas on the main floor were repurposed to serve children and teens, with colorful, contemporary de?cor and generous IT infrastructure. A 250-seat auditorium, built in a sub-basement once used for coal storage, creates space for performances and lectures.
The re-imagined Central Library reflects the civic ideals that inspired its founders—a place of uplift, but not a shrine. At last December’s grand opening, Director Waller McGuire emphasized the future. “Central Library isn’t finished yet,” he said. “It’ll never be finished. There will always be new possibilities and new ideas.”
The original Olive Street lobby, a counterpoint to the modern entry on the north side, has been meticulously restored, including the elaborate polychrome ceiling painting. The central Great Hall is accessible through the doors at the rear. Photos: Timothy Hursley
Reading rooms throughout the building were updated with new lighting and furniture, but historic millwork was preserved. The Building Team used both contemporary and period interior design, depending on each space’s function.
Related Stories
Industry Research | Mar 2, 2023
Watch: Findings from Gensler's latest workplace survey of 2,000 office workers
Gensler's Janet Pogue McLaurin discusses the findings in the firm's 2022 Workplace Survey, based on responses from more than 2,000 workers in 10 industry sectors.
AEC Innovators | Mar 2, 2023
Turner Construction extends its ESG commitment to thwarting forced labor in its supply chain
Turner Construction joins a growing AEC industry movement, inspired by the Design for Freedom initiative, to eliminate forced labor and child labor from the production and distribution of building products.
Multifamily Housing | Mar 1, 2023
Multifamily construction startup Cassette takes a different approach to modular building
Prefabricated modular design and construction have made notable inroads into such sectors as industrial, residential, hospitality and, more recently, office and healthcare. But Dafna Kaplan thinks that what’s held back the modular building industry from even greater market penetration has been suppliers’ insistence that they do everything: design, manufacture, logistics, land prep, assembly, even onsite construction. Kaplan is CEO and Founder of Cassette, a Los Angeles-based modular building startup.
AEC Innovators | Feb 28, 2023
Meet the 'urban miner' who is rethinking how we deconstruct and reuse buildings
New Horizon Urban Mining, a demolition firm in the Netherlands, has hitched its business model to construction materials recycling. It's plan: deconstruct buildings and infrastructure and sell the building products for reuse in new construction. New Horizon and its Founder Michel Baars have been named 2023 AEC Innovators by Building Design+Construction editors.
Seismic Design | Feb 27, 2023
Turkey earthquakes provide lessons for California
Two recent deadly earthquakes in Turkey and Syria offer lessons regarding construction practices and codes for California. Lax building standards were blamed for much of the devastation, including well over 35,000 dead and countless building collapses.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Feb 27, 2023
New 20,000-seat soccer stadium will anchor neighborhood development in Indianapolis
A new 20,000-seat soccer stadium for United Soccer League’s Indy Eleven will be the centerpiece of a major neighborhood development in Indianapolis. The development will transform the southwest quadrant of downtown Indianapolis by adding more than 600 apartments, 205,000 sf of office space, 197,000 sf for retail space and restaurants, parking garages, a hotel, and public plazas with green space.
Libraries | Feb 26, 2023
A $17 million public library in California replaces one that was damaged in a 2010 earthquake
California’s El Centro community, about two hours east of San Diego, recently opened a new $17 million public library. With design by Ferguson Pape Baldwin Architects and engineering services by Latitude 33 Planning & Engineering, the 19,811-sf building replaces the previous library, which was built in the early 1900s, damaged by a 7.2 earthquake that struck Baja California in 2010, and demolished in 2016.
University Buildings | Feb 23, 2023
Johns Hopkins shares design for new medical campus building named in honor of Henrietta Lacks
In November, Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Medicine shared the initial design plans for a campus building project named in honor of Henrietta Lacks, the Baltimore County woman whose cells have advanced medicine around the world. Diagnosed with cervical cancer, Lacks, an African-American mother of five, sought treatment at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in the early 1950s. Named HeLa cells, the cell line that began with Lacks has contributed to numerous medical breakthroughs.
Healthcare Facilities | Feb 21, 2023
Cleveland's Glick Center hospital anchors neighborhood revitalization
The newly opened MetroHealth Glick Center in Cleveland, a replacement acute care hospital for MetroHealth, is the centerpiece of a neighborhood revitalization. The eleven-story structure is located within a ‘hospital-in-a-park’ setting that will provide a bucolic space to the community where public green space is lacking. It will connect patients, visitors, and staff to the emotional and physical benefits of nature.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 21, 2023
Multifamily housing investors favoring properties in the Sun Belt
Multifamily housing investors are gravitating toward Sun Belt markets with strong job and population growth, according to new research from Yardi Matrix. Despite a sharp second-half slowdown, last year’s nationwide $187 billion transaction volume was the second-highest annual total ever.
