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Perspectives in Architecture
ByMelody L. Harclerode
Melody L. Harclerode AIA, a local architect, directs educational, volunteer, and
public programs, and promotes significant historical and natural sites for the
Arabia Mountain Heritage Area Alliance, (arabiaalliance.org)
Blueprints for Success
Editors Note: In this occasional series, Harclerode will highlight libraries built with fundingfrom the
2008 voter-approved Atlanta-Fulton Library Bond Referendum.
Photos by Jonathan Hillyer
The main lobby and checkout area of the Northwest Library.
During the months leading
to the 2008 Atlanta-Fulton Public
Library System bond referendum,
some residents questioned the
value of building new libraries in
Fulton County. They wondered
if internet access to books
and information would make
libraries obsolete, particularly
with savvy internet users. Despite
these concerns, 65 percent of
Atlanta-Fulton voters approved
the bond referendum. Residents
envisioned libraries as centers to
serve a multitude of community
needs. Since voter approval, eight
Atlanta-Fulton Public Libraries
have been built, including the
award-winning Northwest
Library at Scotts Crossing.
The architect team, Collins
Cooper Carusi Architects in
association with Perkins + Will,
found inspiration for its building
design from the history of Scotts
Crossing, intensive site and neighborhood analysis, and feedback from Fulton County residents
during numerous public meetings. The team discovered a community blossoming in the late
1800s from the growth of railroad, agricultural and mill industries. Though decades of a lack
of investment, crime and a dwindling population weakened this northwest Fulton County
community, the solid mix of affordable housing and convenience to Atlanta has attracted new
residents to the area.
Lead design architect, Kenneth Luker, ALA of Perkins+Will, notes, “The design concept
is inspired by the overlapping industrial and residential architecture of the Scotts Crossing
community. A large, light-filled metal shelter, referencing nearby industrial sheds, serves as
a welcoming expression for the library and most of its 25,000 square-foot program. The
remainder of the building
is clad in wood siding
to reference the adjacent
residential context.” The
design received a 2016
Honor Award from the
Georgia Chapter of the
American Institute of
Architects as well as a
LEED Silver rating for
sustainable design. At the
request of citizens, light-
filled book circulation spaces
for adults and children
are complemented with a
spacious incubator space
to support business start
ups, meeting rooms for
community groups, and
a music studio offering a
unique amenity to nurture
talent.
Atlanta-Fulton Public
Library System Executive
Director Dr. Gabriel Morley
is driving the library system to deliver innovative offsite library services, such as mobile libraries,
into neighborhoods; yet he also embraces innovation for onsite programs. “In the 21st Century,
we need to think of the library as a laboratory for ideas,” Morley said. Local residents flock to
the new Northwest Library at Scotts Crossing and other new Atlanta-Fulton public libraries,
affirming the importance of highly tailored building designs and programs. As the Fulton
County leaders consider renovations to existing Atlanta-Fulton Public Libraries such as the
Central Library, the new libraries offer a blueprint for success: integrating community needs
into the building renovations can ensure the viability of these buildings for decades to come. [El
The childrens’ program room at the Northwest Library.
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Information believed accurate but not warranted. Equal Housing Opportunity.
AtlantalNtownPaper.com
September 2016 I iNtown 55