Cope Construction Co. is scheduled to begin work on Monday, Nov. 1 on The Seattle Public Library’s new International District/Chinatown Branch, which will be located inside the International District Village Square II complex.
The $942,972 tenant improvement project features 3,800 square feet of space, seating for up to 40 patrons, a collection of 12,000 books and materials with an emphasis on multilingual and multimedia materials, computers and instruction areas and modern technology services.
The branch will be located at 713 Eighth Ave., inside the International District Village Square II complex, which also includes 57 units of affordable family housing, a community center, retail space and underground parking. The Library will lease the space from the Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority (SCIDPDA).
Miller Hayashi Architects designed the space to take advantage of the 20-foot floor-to-ceiling height and created a sense of unity with an interesting ceiling canopy made of ribbons of wood. Long hanging lamps will illuminate the space. An image of the design may be seen at: http://www.spl.org/lfa/neighborhoodlibs/international/IDCdesigns.html.
The branch also will include artwork by Rene Yung, a sculptor and graphic artist from San Francisco. Yung will use teacups collected from residents of Chinatown-International District to create sculptural artworks for the branch. The Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs manages the Library’s public art program.
The new branch, which is expected to open in mid-2005, is part of the $196.4 million “Libraries for All” bond measure that Seattle voters passed in 1998. The bond money, which can be used only for construction of libraries, is funding a new central library and new and improved branches.
To date, the Library has completed the Beacon Hill, Capitol Hill, Columbia, Delridge, Green Lake, High Point, NewHolly, North East, Rainier Beach, Wallingford and West Seattle branches. The new Central Library opened May 23.
The Ballard, Fremont, Greenwood, International District/Chinatown and Lake City branches are currently in the construction phase and many other branches are in various stages of planning and design.
The Seattle Public Library Foundation is in the final phase of a “Campaign for Seattle’s Public Libraries” with the goal of raising $82 million from private sources to enhance the public bond commitment. Every dollar raised will ensure a level of excellence in the library’s facilities, collections, and programs that would not be possible through its tax-based support alone.
For more information about “Libraries for All” or the Foundation, visit the Library’s Web site at www.spl.org.
(For more information, call Caroline Young Ullmann, communications assistant, 206-615-1627.)
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Content modified: 1 November 2004
12/30/2005
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