This urban renewal project contributes to the revitalization of a second-tier city’s struggling downtown core by transforming a dilapidated, mid-century modern central library and inhospitable civic plaza into a prized community destination for active learning and creative engagement. The design team targeted three primary goals for the project:
To achieve these goals, the design team crafted a building program and architectural response that includes a revitalized, humanized civic plaza and new public garden for programming and community events; a clear, secure entry sequence in which all ways of entering the library collect into one main lobby area; a new parking garage; an interactive education center; a maker space; and a destination children’s library with direct access to the garden. Sustainable measures include improved thermal performance of the entire building envelope, daylight harvesting and lighting strategies, and the first rooftop photovoltaic solar array installed on a Tulsa building.
AIA/ALA Library Building Award
Library Journal New Landmark Library
Sustainable Tulsa Henry Bellmon Environmental Stewardship Award
Client
Tulsa City-County Library System
Location
Tulsa, OK
Project Type
Library | Cultural Space | Educational Environment | Government Facility
Size
145,391 SF renovation | 1,103 SF new | 87,691 SF parking ramp
Certifications
Certified LEED-NC v.3 Gold
Roles
MSR Design | Lead Architect
MSR Design | Interior Designer
Crafton Tull | Associate Architect for Parking Ramp
Status
Complete
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“This renovation is elegant and timeless; it maximizes and revitalizes the surrounding neighborhood, which would inspire me to visit more often just to experience its beauty.”
—AIA/ALA Library Building Awards Jury
The makerspace includes a sound-treated recording studio and flight simulators.
New glass study cubes entice passers-by to come inside.
A hidden message in morse code reads, "libraries change lives."
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