American studios MSR Design and JRA Architect have completed a public library in Louisville featuring a sculptural, medal-clad exterior that is partly concealed by tall, leafy trees.
The South Central Regional Library is part of the Louisville Free Public Library system ? the largest public library system in Kentucky. The project was designed by MSR Design, a Minneapolis studio, and local firm JRA Architects.

Designed to serve 160,000 patrons, the new facility replaces a much smaller library in the city's Okolona neighbourhood. It is the second library to be constructed as part of a 12-year masterplan developed by MSR Design.
Tucked off an active street, the 38,191-square-foot (3,548-square-metre) building occupies a partly wooded site. Preserving the trees ? along with harvesting daylight and conserving energy ? were guiding concerns for the design team. Ultimately, a third of the site was left untouched.
"By delicately inserting the building into a grove of trees, the project stands out in a region of Kentucky where clear-cutting sites is standard practice," the team said in a project description.
Roughly trapezoidal in plan, the building has a sculptural form owing to angled walls and various cuts and overhangs. The main, south-facing elevation features large stretches of glass and stainless steel siding.

Long strips of shiny metal streak across the main facade, giving the building a sense of energy and movement. The steel-clad elements also act as eaves, he...