PROJECT Laurel Branch Library

LOCATION  Laurel, Maryland US

PROJECT COMPLETION DATE  11/1/2016

ARCHITECT Grimm + Parker Architects

ASSOCIATED ARCHITECT  

OWNER/CLIENT Prince George's County Memorial Library System

CONTRACTOR / CONSTRUCTION MANAGER  Nardi Construction, Inc.

PHOTOGRAPHER  Sam Kittner

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM  Melanie Hennigan, Richard Morrison, Antonio Rebelo, Julia Crawford, Amy Upton, Agnes Panganiban, Benjamin Plummer

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT

Envisioned as a modern space for discovery and community rather than a repository for print media, Laurel Branch Library embraces its place in the community through transparency — dissolving the barriers between interior and exterior while providing an array of modern educational amenities. At 31,000 sf, its open, intuitive floorplan and comprehensive technology integration along with its pedestrian friendly location make Laurel Branch Library an accessible space for socializing and exploring educational resources. Private study and conference rooms serve as meeting spaces for groups of students and local organizations, and all user groups are valued with their own modern spaces including adult, teen, and children’s reading areas with specially selected, age appropriate features and furnishings.

The liveliest of these spaces is the children’s wing, or “Discovery Island”— an exploration zone intended to encourage early literacy. Children enter via a cave-like opening in a stone wall, emerging onto a lush tropical island where they are greeted by reading nooks tucked into the greenery. Young readers navigate the stacks, following illuminated dinosaur tracks to discover a complete model Nanotyrannus skeleton, encased in the glass floor, and illuminated from within as though recently excavated. The remainder of the tracks lead young readers to another hidden reading nook — this time disguised as a discarded dinosaur ribcage. Utilizing Laurel Branch Library’s transparency to full effect, this nook overlooks an adjoining pathway, linking the library to the newly renovated historic Emancipation Community Park.

MEDIA FOR DOWNLOAD
Project/Jury PDF

IMAGE CAPTIONS & CREDITS

IMAGE 1  LAUREL LIBRARY_thumbnail, Exterior Entrance, © Sam Kittner/Kittner.com

IMAGE 2  LAUREL LIBRARY_high res, Exterior Entrance, © Sam Kittner/Kittner.com

IMAGE 3  LAUREL LIBRARY_high res int, Circulation Desk, © Sam Kittner/Kittner.com

IMAGE 4  LAUREL LIBRARY_IMG 4, Teen Zone, Yulia Parr

IMAGE 5  LAUREL LIBRARY_IMG 5, Discovery Island, © Sam Kittner/Kittner.com

IMAGE 6  LAUREL LIBRARY_IMG 6, Discovery Island - Reading Nooks, © Sam Kittner/Kittner.com

IMAGE 7  LAUREL LIBRARY_IMG 7, Entrance Lobby - Cafe/Community Area, © Sam Kittner/Kittner.com

IMAGE 8  LAUREL LIBRARY_IMG 8, Exterior, © Sam Kittner/Kittner.com