Committee Plans Library Renovations
Renovations on the Class of 1945 Library will begin in the summer of 2019, turning the basement into a center for archives and special collections by 2020. Additional renovations will be completed by 2026.
The new basement plan calls for exhibit cases to display rare objects, a secure vault, a reading room, a classroom, a technology suite, conservation areas, office space and secure storage rooms.
According to Academy Librarian Gail Scanlon, the Library Renewal Committee has been discussing renovations since the late 1990s, consulting with architects, designers and librarians across the country. “Our library is widely regarded as one of the most significant twentieth-century modernist buildings in the United States,” she said. “The Academy has a responsibility to preserve our historic building.”
PEA commissioned distinguished architect Louis Kahn to design a contemporary structure that would enhance the campus after the school outgrew the Davis Library in the 1950s. Kahn’s project began in 1965 and opened in 1971 as the grand, eight-story building we know today.
A faculty committee led the original planning process for the library’s construction. In their mission statement, the committee noted that a good library serves as a hub for learning at an academic institution. “The quality of a library, by inspiring a superior faculty and attracting superior students, determines the effectiveness of a school,” the document readss. “No longer a mere depository of books and magazines, the modern library becomes a laboratory for research and experimentation, a quiet retreat for study, reading and reflection, the intellectual center of the community.”
Additionally, the document highlighted that the building should not only preserve knowledge, but also serve as a space that fosters intellectual growth and the people pursuing it. “The emphasis should not be on housing books, but on housing readers using books,” the document reads.
To achieve this purpose, the committee had recommended various accommodations such as garden space and ample seating areas. In designing the building, Kahn tried to optimize natural lighting. All the while, he ensured that the building would both maintain the classic brick aesthetic of the rest of the Academy while remaining modern and practical.
As a result of such deliberate planning and state-of-the-art design, the library gained recognition by many organizations, including the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Scanlon spotlighted the building’s various honors. “In 1997, the library received the 25 Year Award from AIA, an award that recognizes architecture of enduring significance,” she said. “In 2005, the United States Postal Service issued a stamp that recognized our library as one of twelve Masterworks of Modern American Architecture, along with the Guggenheim Museum and the Chrysler Building.”
To this day, the library serves its original purpose of being a space for the entire community to learn, discuss and connect. Senior and Library Proctor Ruby Bagwyn said that the building is a reliable, inspiring place for students to work. “It’s always quiet, so it’s one of the places on campus where I’m the most productive,” she said. “I love how natural light illuminates the entire building. It feels very open and it’s also so pretty outside.”
Lower Charlie Preston expressed frustration that many Exonians do not seem to recognize the library’s architectural ingenuity. “Nobody recognizes the quality of the building. Talk to the average Exonian. No one knows the architect,” Preston said.
Nonetheless, Preston deeply appreciates the fact that PEA’s campus is home to such a historic library. “It is amazing that we have world-class architects [designing] our buildings,” he said.
Senior Abby Zhang added that the library is an incredible center for academic research. “The library was a huge resource to me when I was writing my 333, and it’s why I loved the process so much,” Zhang said. “It’s crazy that we’re only in high school and we have all the resources to thoroughly delve into a topic that means a lot to us and produce something really meaningful.”
The summer renovations will ensure that the building continues to be an up-to-date, reliable part of campus by replacing the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. According to Director of Facilities Management Mark Leighton, the library’s infrastructure has been in use for more years than originally planned, and has not been updated since the building’s original construction in 1971. Leighton noted that this project was “at the top of the list” for Facilities Management.
Senior Zachary Feng welcomed the news of the renovation, noting that while he spends a lot of time in the library, his carrel has not always been adequately heated. “It’s a very convenient space, but right now it’s very cold,” he said.
Scanlon expressed high hopes for the basement renovations. “I am very excited about the opportunity to bring together our treasured collections of historical materials, rare books, manuscripts, Academy records and rare objects in one secure, climate-controlled, archival space,” she said.