Philip & Jerry Miller LIbrary

A new public library in the Mile High City Metro, is a center for gathering, learning, and discovery. Constructed on the parking lot of a former grocery store that housed the library for a quarter century, the new library meets the urban edge creating a gateway into rapidly evolving and growing downtown. Two-thirds of the 62,000-square-foot building is dedicated to community with collection areas, meeting / gathering spaces, and the county’s archives with dedicated reading room. The remainder of the building houses administrative staff operations for the seven-branch library system. Designed to be experienced from all sides, the site and building reflects and catalyzes a community shifting from an automobile-centric suburb to a densifying walkable urban neighborhood. Its scale and presence anticipate an adjacent mixed-use parking structure as well as planned mixed use developments to the south and west. The building envelope’s materiality complements the modern western aesthetic of other libraries in the seven-location system while also creating a unique community presence. A corrugated and Corten steel-clad exterior recalls the rugged mountain landscape and colors of a Colorado sunset. The vertical linear steel pattern from the exterior is repeated as white panels interspersed with integrated wall lighting in the central lobby. This lobby separates the community space from the library system’s central offices. Porches on the east and west facades offer shade from the 300 days of sun annually recorded in the state and open to outdoor plazas with space for library programming and casual gathering. The blending of outdoor plazas into interior space is further reinforced by a double-sided fireplace facing the urban plaza and interior entry zone. Wood on the underside of exterior porch soffits and on interior study spaces share warmth and texture with the weathered steel. The building also embraces its place by maximizing views to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains from the second floor. Inside and out, the building features spaces and furniture that provide choice, variety and equity in the postures offered. A quiet contemplative upper floor contrasts with a vibrant event hall and youth services on the lower floor. The library district’s brand and design guidelines are incorporated through color, shelving / display solutions, and environmental graphics. Installations by local artists connects this location to its specific community thus making this a hub for civic life.