A three-phase renovation transformed the library that houses the university’s rare book and manuscript collections.
The Rare Book and Manuscript Library is housed in the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center. Keast & Hood provided structural engineering design for three phases of work to substantially renovate and reconfigure 9,000 sf of space.
Phase I addressed the core of the library, creating a new reading room, small group consultation rooms, and a central lecture and event space with additional natural light. An underutilized balcony was captured to extend the library’s habitable space with a new, glassed-in study area. In addition, structural modifications were designed to relocate interior partitions, incorporate new mechanical systems, and support a series of movable wall partitions.
Phase II involved structural engineering to cut the building’s concrete framework and create a new stair from the fifth to the sixth floors. The phase included new flexible seminar space and a media lab.
Phase III involved construction of a conservation laboratory, new stack space for rare books, and an exhibit preparation area.
A three-phase renovation transformed the library that houses the university’s rare book and manuscript collections.
The Rare Book and Manuscript Library is housed in the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center. Keast & Hood provided structural engineering design for three phases of work to substantially renovate and reconfigure 9,000 sf of space.
Phase I addressed the core of the library, creating a new reading room, small group consultation rooms, and a central lecture and event space with additional natural light. An underutilized balcony was captured to extend the library’s habitable space with a new, glassed-in study area. In addition, structural modifications were designed to relocate interior partitions, incorporate new mechanical systems, and support a series of movable wall partitions.
Phase II involved structural engineering to cut the building’s concrete framework and create a new stair from the fifth to the sixth floors. The phase included new flexible seminar space and a media lab.
Phase III involved construction of a conservation laboratory, new stack space for rare books, and an exhibit preparation area.
CLIENT: Gensler
LOCATION: Philadelphia, PA
TYPE: Academic, Library, SERVICES: Feasibility Study, Renovation, Structural Intervention, MATERIALS: Concrete, Steel, Other, SUSTAINABILITY: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Completed project photography © Garrett Rowland
