Project Description
The design of Washington DC’s Anacostia Neighborhood Library is a response to the residential character of one of the district’s oldest neighborhoods. Configured as a series of pavilions set into a larger glass volume, the library establishes a sense of scale and hierarchy that complements its residential context. A large, green perforated roof shelters the glass-enclosed reading room and unites the pavilions positioned along its edges.
The 23,000 sf program for the Library is organized around the main reading room which overlooks a broad entrance plaza. Surrounding the reading room, program components that require enclosure, such as the Young Adult’s Area, the Children’s Program Room and various staff support spaces, are housed in pavilions. The perforated roof form folds down along the west facade to provide sun-shading while visually tying together the massing composition. Resolving a 12-foot drop in elevation across the site, the building has entrances at both levels: the main entry at Good Hope Road and a secure access to the community meeting room from the lower level.