Baltimore, MD
Stepping into a library is like embarking on a personal journey. This philosophy has been the backdrop over two decades of collaboration with the Enoch Pratt Free Library, beginning nearly two decades ago with renovations and restorations in the 1933 Beaux Arts original Central Library The latest project is the Annex between that facility and the glass atrium of the modern building for blind and handicapped patrons, also designed by Ayers/Saint/Gross.
The challenge in designing the Annex was to create a physical and programmatic link for the two adjoining buildings, which are from dissimilar architectural areas. As the centerpiece, the Annex honors and connects them, and their three exteriors flow seamlessly along one dense urban block.
Paradoxically, the Annex is home to some of the library’s oldest and newest offerings, including rare and fragile materials that require dedicated air handling, African American, Mencken and Maryland collections, and high-tech computer stations. It also has selectively closed stacks for scholars, offices and support spaces, which rise above the loading dock shared with the facility for the blind and handicapped.
Patrons frequently choose to study, read and work in the addition because of its accessibility and comfort level, while staff members boast about their work environment, including the updated technology.
Completion: 2004
Size: 43,000 gsf
Cost: $15 million
More Ayers/Saint/Gross projects for the Enoch Pratt Free Library:
