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EXPANDING THE DOUGLASS-TRUTH LIBRARY DESIGN UPDATE OPEN HOUSE RECAP
3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 6, 2002
Douglass-Truth Library, 2300 E. Yesler Way

About 50 members of the public attended this open house to view early designs for the expansion of the Douglass-Truth Library. Seattle Public Library capital projects manager Frank Coulter and the design team of Cima Malek-Aslani and Walter Schacht of Schacht/Aslani Architects, architects for the Douglass-Truth Library expansion, displayed several possibilities for the 6,992-square-foot expansion project. Also present at the open house were Seattle Public Library board of trustees members Gordon McHenry Jr., Linda Larson and Gilbert W. Anderson; Valerie Garrett-Turner, Douglass-Truth Library branch manager; Samuel Jackson, adult services and African-American Collection librarian at the Douglass-Truth Library; Alexandra Harris, Seattle Public Library capital program director; Val Frye, acting director of Seattle Public Library neighborhood libraries; and Anita Dias, Shirley Wilcox and Mary Henry, members of the Citizen Implementation Review Panel (CIRP), a 15-member panel that provides citizen oversight of Seattle Public Library's Libraries for All building program.

During the open house, members of the public asked questions of the design team and filled out comment forms. While seeming to favor the scheme of two, one-level additions, the comments were diverse and included opinions on massing, scale, functionality, and aesthetics:

• One, two-level scheme preserves open space on western side and allows unchanged views of original architecture.
• There is a real need for meeting room space in area; prefer meeting room on the main level.
• Prefer one, two-level addition because it preserves original symmetry of building as much as possible.
• With setback of western additions and modulation of connection to existing structure, two, one-level additions combine desire to be on one level with sensitivity to historic structure.
• Favors style that looks most compatible with original building's style.
• Strongly prefer contrast of architectural style of old building and style of new addition.
• Feel strongly that main historic building would be most honored by traditional design, with semi-symmetrical presentation of additions east and west; "Modern concept" out of place beside historic Douglass-Truth building and in relationship to neighborhood.
• Prefer an excellent contemporary design to "impossible-mirror-traditional approach."

All of the comment forms were forwarded to members of the design team and the Library Board.

Next steps: The Library will continue the schematic design process with the architects and the Landmarks Preservation Board, and will report progress back to the community and the Library Board at the end of the schematic design phase.

Please send your comments about the Douglass-Truth Library expansion project to Library staff or e-mail the capital program office at capital.program@spl.org. To contact capital projects manager Frank Coulter, call 615-1621 or e-mail frank.coulter@spl.org.

Content Modified: Content Modified: 17 June 2002

12/30/2005

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