Project Images
Fort Vancouver Regional Library
Currently housed in a dated building at a site cut-off from the city by the freeway, the new Central Branch for the Fort Vancouver
Regional Library aims to significantly increase services and play a more central role in the community by more than tripling the
current space (to 80,000 square feet), and providing indoor and outdoor meeting and presentation space for civic events. By
relocating to the urban core as part of a four-block 600,000-square-foot mixed-use development, the library will enjoy a well
deserved prominence in a highly accessible new location.
Five stories of program will radiate around an active and organizing atrium space, encouraging patrons to travel through the various collections, browse media in a ‘retail’ sense, and to participate in the various programs and events in the library. Places designed for lingering will encourage more casual, comfortable use of the building by the community, and will culminate in roof-top reading room and terrace with views of the adjacent public plaza and the city.
The Library District's emphasis on early learning and early literacy has led to the inclusion of a children's museum-like Early Learning Center as part of the facility. Partnerships with the local school district, community college, and Washington State University have contributed to plans for pre-school and kindergarten classrooms, with research planned on literacy and early learning development.
Five stories of program will radiate around an active and organizing atrium space, encouraging patrons to travel through the various collections, browse media in a ‘retail’ sense, and to participate in the various programs and events in the library. Places designed for lingering will encourage more casual, comfortable use of the building by the community, and will culminate in roof-top reading room and terrace with views of the adjacent public plaza and the city.
The Library District's emphasis on early learning and early literacy has led to the inclusion of a children's museum-like Early Learning Center as part of the facility. Partnerships with the local school district, community college, and Washington State University have contributed to plans for pre-school and kindergarten classrooms, with research planned on literacy and early learning development.
Location
Vancouver, Washington