Bohlin Cywinski Jackson has been selected by the Seattle Public Library board of trustees to design the new Ballard library. The board voted unanimously in favor of the firm at its March 28 meeting.
Library Board member Linda Larson said she was particularly impressed with the firm’s high design standards and its understanding of the Ballard community. “I am confident the design team will deliver a truly wonderful library for Ballard,” she said.
Buildings designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson include the Issaquah Library, the Dwight-Englewood School Library and Student Center in Englewood, N.J., the University of Washington School of Fisheries, the University of Washington Chemical Oceanography Laboratory Building, and the residence of William H. Gates in Medina, Wash.
An Architect Selection Advisory Panel assisted the board in reviewing proposals from the firms, conducting interviews and making recommendations. Community representatives serving on the panel included Signa Treat, a member of the Ballard Friends of the Library, Rick Sundberg, chairman of the Seattle Design Commission, Elizabeth Butler, a representative from the Department of Neighborhoods, and local residents Michael Carsiotis and Harriet Towne.
Approximately 150 community members attended a reception on March 16 to meet the architects from Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, along with architects from the two other finalist firms. Residents also had an opportunity to view examples of each firm’s work and were encouraged to fill out comment forms.
During the architect selection process, the board was also busy working with the community to explore potential locations for the new library. The board narrowed the list of potential sites to three at its Nov. 23 meeting: The Bartell Drug Store site, the U.S. Bank site and the Eagles Hall and adjacent service garage.
The Bartell Drug Store and U.S. Bank properties are included as possible library locations in the proposed municipal center master plan. Both are within two blocks of Market Street and offer high visibility.
The Eagles Hall and adjacent service garage are located on 24th Avenue Northwest. The parcel is bounded by Northwest 56th and Northwest 57th streets, and on the east side of 24th Avenue Northwest.
A matrix with an analysis of the sites, as well as a map of the sites, is available at the Ballard Library and on the Ballard Library’s Web site: www.spl.org/neighborhoodlibs/ballard/index.html. The board is continuing to collect public comments on the sites. The current library is one of the system’s busiest branches and has outgrown its 7,296-square-foot program area. Voters approved $6.5 million for a new 15,000-square foot facility in November 1998. The building will feature more space for books, enlarged areas for children and young adults, added computer and instructional space, a multipurpose room and more parking. The library is scheduled to open in 2002.
(For more information, call Andra Addison, communications director, at 206-386-4103.)
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12/30/2005
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