Hope Library is a 6,000 square foot new branch library located in Hope, Indiana,
a town of 2,500 people located 15 miles outside Columbus. The project is
part of the renowned Cummins Engine Foundation architectural program, which
has commissioned prominent architects to design buildings in and around
Columbus for over fifty years.
The 20,000-volume, fully computerized library sits on the north side of
the town square in Hope. While it is contextual in its use of materials,
employing brick walls and steel windows like many of the neighboring structures,
its is a decidedly new building, expressive of its function and civic role.
Large windows providing natural light for a comfortable daytime reading
environment dominate the high-ceilinged asymmetrical reading room. The library
serves as an after school gathering center in this small town and is designed
to be a particularly child-friendly place. During school hours, the library
is frequented by older residents; special attention was therefore paid to
optimum lighting and acoustics. |
