As part of a $1.2 billion capital improvement program for its Main Campus in North Philadelphia, Temple University commissioned us, as part of a Stantec/Snohetta Joint Venture, to design its new library. Stantec’s responsibilities include architectural documentation, project management, and MEP/FP engineering services.
An innovative, technology-rich, dynamic environment, the new library will replace the existing 1960s facility, an old building that no longer meets the needs of a modern and growing student population. With 220,000 square feet of space, it will accommodate the university's 2.5 million volume collection, numerous prestigious special collections, student study space, research space, and staff areas. To encourage interaction among students and faculty, the bulding will house a 24-hour space, an expanded lobby, and a café. The stand-out feature, however, will be an automated storage retrieval system (ASRS) for storing the majority of the volumes in the collection.
Envisioned as Temple's most prominent structure on Polett Walk, the entrance to the new library will serve as a pedestrian gathering place with a transformational function and aesthetic. In addition to supporting its students, the building will strengthen the university's civic presence and communicate Temple's connection and commitment to the city and community.
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