New Carnegie Library

The New Carnegie Library is conceived of as a new building development for the city of Huntsville which will aid in revitalizing the town by offering resources for learning and recreation. Located in the historic downtown square of Huntsville, Arkansas, the New Carnegie Library respects the established townscape with a main entry which gestures to the town square. The people of Huntsville are invited to come and explore all the library has to offer. In addition to addressing the surrounding context and developed street front, the library pays equal respect to the wooded landscape to its northern border. This connection between town and nature is one of the defining design principles of the project. As patrons transition from downtown Huntsville to the library’s interior they will experience a ceiling plane which ebbs and flows, leading them through the library’s program toward the natural environment along the library’s edge. The large light wells which cut across the library’s roof periodically allow soft northern light into the project. An expansive open air terrace houses amenities such as a bike shop, maker space, outdoor kitchen, learning kitchen and a café. Study spaces, teens area, children’s story center, media tables and an auditorium are all housed within the main conditioned space and are at the disposal of the town. Thoughtfully crafted in response to the fabric of the town and tailored to the needs of Huntsville, this is New Carnegie Library.