Thursday, August 6, 2009

Booth Library Renovation

When the original Booth Library's renovation took place in 1968, the stduents and staff were not pleased with the results. In fact, the renovation made the library a less conducive place to study. The addition closed off an entrance and made the interior darker. Call me crazy, but it wasn't the most optimal thing to do to a library environment. So recently, architects of Holabird & Root in Chicago, IL, were brought in to fix the prior renovation and make the massive 134,200 sq. foot space more compatible for the people who use it every day.

Changes made include:

  • Recreated the original entry and restored the south portion of the building.
  • Opened up the atrium space and made it more functional as well as restored the stone and woodwork.
  • Added a second south entry and relocated offices to the south addition to free the rest of the library for reading and stacks. This resulted in an addition of 12,800 sq. feet of space.
  • Opened up an atrium on the south side to bring light into the library and provide a central study/ circulation area.
  • Created an atrium which exposed the original wall on the south side of the building.
  • Restored the interior and exterior walls.
  • Restored the interior limestone and the north-side exterior limestone.

    • The renovation took about two years and the students and staff took met it with positive responses.
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    2 comments:

    1. violeta ilikAugust 10, 2009 at 9:21 AM

      I like how the space looks even though the chairs look uncomfortable. Maybe when you try them out they are actually comfortable? I think it was a nice change to add 12,800 sq. feet of space by adding a second south entry and relocating the offices of the faculty to free the rest of the library for reading and stacks. I see that a vast majority of libraries are going through redesigning and adapting the space to be more user-centered. We cannot escape what future brings :-)

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    2. BeckyAugust 10, 2009 at 9:37 AM

      It is wonderful that they have managed to add so much space for stacks and reading areas. I do have to agree with the previous commenter – those chairs really do not look comfortable!

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