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  • Our Team
    • Scott Simons, Principal, FAIA
    • Austin Smith, Principal, AIA, RLA, LEED AP
    • Chris Berry, Partner and Business Manager
    • Ryan Kanteres, Senior Associate, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
    • Kayla Caron, Associate, AIA, Project Manager
    • Julia Tate, Project Manager, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
    • Adam Wiles-Rosell, Architectural Designer
    • Seth Wilschutz, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
  • Contact Us
  • Awards
  • News
  • Blog
  • Our Spirit
  • Our Work
    • Casco Bay Ferry Terminal
    • Waynflete School Arts Center
    • Portland Public Library
    • Tilton School
    • Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
    • Knox County Courthouse
    • Gould Academy – Hanscom Hall Renovation
    • Brewster Academy- Anderson Hall Performing Arts Center
    • The Hill School – Master Plan
    • Pondicherry
    • On the Boards
  • Our Team
    • Scott Simons, Principal, FAIA
    • Austin Smith, Principal, AIA, RLA, LEED AP
    • Chris Berry, Partner and Business Manager
    • Ryan Kanteres, Senior Associate, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
    • Kayla Caron, Associate, AIA, Project Manager
    • Julia Tate, Project Manager, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
    • Adam Wiles-Rosell, Architectural Designer
    • Seth Wilschutz, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
  • Contact Us
  • Awards
  • News
  • Blog
Portland Public Library

HUMAN POTENTIAL: LIBRARIES THAT ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY

A new façade and civic presence have transformed the formerly cold, foreboding library building into a vibrant, modern public resource in the center of Portland. By extending out beyond the edge of the existing building, the new façade and the (future) urban screen symbolize the bringing of library resources and information into the public realm, a re-engagement of the library within the cultural life of the City.

The library had become a “gap” in the fabric of the city.  The dark, lifeless front of the building was the outward expression of an even less inviting interior. A close collaboration between the client and the architect fostered a shared vision and a dedication to create a truly modern facility and a new image for the library and the City. A new curtain wall encloses the unused exterior space in front of the library, creating an immediate dialogue with the life of the sidewalk and square across the street. Interior functions were reorganized to bring the most public spaces to the front, into the public realm and the quieter spaces were located deeper in the building.

The project received an AIA Maine Honor Award in 2012 and an AIA New England Design Award in 2013

Photography: Robert Benson

Portland Public Library

HUMAN POTENTIAL: LIBRARIES THAT ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY

A new façade and civic presence have transformed the formerly cold, foreboding library building into a vibrant, modern public resource in the center of Portland. By extending out beyond the edge of the existing building, the new façade and the (future) urban screen symbolize the bringing of library resources and information into the public realm, a re-engagement of the library within the cultural life of the City.

The library had become a “gap” in the fabric of the city.  The dark, lifeless front of the building was the outward expression of an even less inviting interior. A close collaboration between the client and the architect fostered a shared vision and a dedication to create a truly modern facility and a new image for the library and the City. A new curtain wall encloses the unused exterior space in front of the library, creating an immediate dialogue with the life of the sidewalk and square across the street. Interior functions were reorganized to bring the most public spaces to the front, into the public realm and the quieter spaces were located deeper in the building.

The project received an AIA Maine Honor Award in 2012 and an AIA New England Design Award in 2013

Photography: Robert Benson

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