Designed by BCWH Architects, The new 43,885SF Varina Area Library was envisioned as a place for individual transformation and community advancement as well as a hub for learning. Building on our client?s model for library service, we strove to discern those elements of library design embodying ideas, initiatives, and innovations uniquely suited to this library for this particular community.
Photography: Chris Cunningham
First, we embraced the idea that the Library should reflect and reinforce local culture and character. This library is rooted in its natural environment as much as it is rooted in the community. It is configured to be a series of pavilions emerging from and cascading down the landscape. The forms of the pavilions reflect the community?s vernacular architectural heritage, being vaguely reminiscent of a collection of tobacco barns. A simple palette of building materials inside and out reinforces this concept. Photography: Chris Cunningham
Second, we created an active library where productive people can engage with collections, librarians, other patrons, and their own ambitions. The design supports group collaboration projects, individuals needing focused concentration, and provides spaces to be creative ? both digitally and tangible. In addition to having a great community meeting room, with a teaching kitchen, various spaces around the collections are configured for people to productively use information themselves, share information with others, complete p...