CC library design unveiled
Charles City’s Library Campaign Committee has been hard at work for some time, selecting an architect and conducting the silent phase of a capital campaign for the building of a new library building.
James Tyler, co-chairman of the committee, said, “Something extraordinary is happening in Charles City County. For the first time in our county’s history, we have an opportunity to build our own library facility.”
Enteros Design PC won the contract to design the building and is now in the schematic phase of the design process. According to the architect’s design narrative, the library will accommodate over 20,000 volumes of print material, periodicals, audio media, CD’s and DVD’s.
In addition to the library collection, the new library will house the Center for Local History where the county’s rare books, manuscripts, records, and photographs will be preserved in a safe and secure environment for future generations. A museum quality archives room will preserve the rarest documents in a climate controlled, fire rated enclosure.
Not only will the library provide resources for reading, research, and entertainment, but it will also serve as a cultural center and gathering place for the community. The facility provides a 100-seat meeting room, three group study/conference rooms, a 36-seat special programs room, a self-serve cafe, gallery space, and a computer training lab. The facility devotes close to 2,800 square feet to children and young adult collections and program space.
The architectural design celebrates the unique identity of Charles City. Brick volumes with hipped roofs relate to the scale and proportion of the historic courthouse and clerk’s office, while the overall building form expresses the function of a modern library facility.
Large areas of glass bring in controlled natural light and create framed views of the historic courthouse and surrounding farmland. Three brick volumes are expressed as independent forms representing the three Native American cultures of Charles City. Concepts for etched glass and painted murals are being developed for the interior to represent the county’s diverse cultures and heritage.
A reflecting pool and public plaza space is planned for the front of the building. The pool has a diagonal stepping stone path separating two pools signifying the two rivers surrounding the county. The pool steps down four times to represent the four centuries of the county’s history.
Stepping across the diagonal stepping stones, which are engraved with historic events, the visitor walks in the rivers which led to the settlement and development of Charles City through four centuries.
Through community support, construction on the library could begin this year. For more information, consult the campaign’s website at www.charlescitylibrary.org.